-The Morning-

The fox gives a soft groan as his mind starts to accept consciousness. He feels the bunny gently against him even before his eyes open, and hears her soft breaths. When he does open his eyes, her ears are on either side of his muzzle, her head tucked up under his chin. He wraps his arms around the bunny; his hugs around her feel so complete because of her smaller size. He loves this. The pose feels perfect. Too perfect.

"I know you're awake," the fox says.

"Aw, you do?" The bunny replies.

"I've woken up before you maybe four times out of hundreds," he explains.

"We have today off; I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere," she says.

"Works for me," he yawns and keeps holding her to him. The cuddle continues for a long while, but never long enough, he thinks. No matter how tightly he ever squeezes, she always manages to wriggle her way out of his arms. She does this, getting out of the bed and facing away from him. She stretches, and he is captivated; it is heavenly. He props up his muzzle with his paw, thirsty for every detail he can drink up about her back. It's such a good angle to take in her ears, her curvature, her small, cottony tuft of a tail.

"Mmmmmnn..." she lets loose this amazing sound for his benefit, he's sure. To him, she is gorgeous, beautiful, immaculate. She is...

"Cute," he finally says. "So cute."

He expects her to turn and look displeased, or at least smirk wryly. Instead, she just barely turns her head, and in her profile he can see that her smile is bright and eyes are fully open. She holds her shoulders up slightly with her arms to her sides but her hands out, and gets onto her tip toes. His attention is rapt as she suddenly drops back down to the ground. Her tail is wiggling from the action.

His hand slips from beneath his muzzle, and he nearly falls out of bed.

-The Tail-

The lazy red fox feels the quick gray bunny bounce into bed and move against his back. He sighs, but his breath catches in amusement at the end of the sigh as he can feel his tail being manipulated.

"How do I look?" She asks.

He turns his head to try to catch a glimpse of her. She has wrapped herself up fully in his tail, wearing it around her body. She bats her eyes. It looks both intimate and adorable to him.

"Well, I think if you were to go out like this, you'd probably have to arrest yourself," he quips dryly.

She hums lowly. "I want to try something." Her voice is mischievous and curious. He feels a stab of anxiety as he waits for whatever his unpredictable bunny will do. She presses her paws against his back. Her claws are small, tiny even, but she rakes them firmly down his body.

"Aah..." he starts at the feeling, his shoulders scrunching.

"Relax..." she coos, and continues scratching firmly and deeply. "You're so tense..." He gives in and lets her have her way. His eyes squint shut, but then relax as he gets used to it. Shortly, he hears her giggling with pleasure.

"What's so funny?" The fox asks.

"Your tail!" The bunny replies. He looks back and sees his tail wriggling around, trying to free itself from the bunny that has entrapped it.

"He just wants to show you how much he likes you," he explains.

"Well, I don't think he's ever done a better job," she grins fetchingly.

-The Ears-

"God, I love these things," the fox admits. He is sitting on the couch with the bunny in front of her. She is using her phone. He smooches both of her ears and then pokes them to see them wobble.

"My ears?" The bunny replies, but he doesn't respond, as the answer is obvious. They are so long and fluffy, and stand out so much. The black accents on the tips seem to beg for the fox to touch them. So he does.

Then, he wraps his hands around the base of her ears. She doesn't move, but she is curious. His fingers move to the inner of the ears and his claws barely touch the more lightly furred insides. She draws in a terse breath. He then indulgently strokes fully up her ears like this, up to the very tip.

"Ooh..." she shivers. She's much more still than before. She has set her phone down, it having been forgotten.

"Want me to do it again?" He smirks at her, even though she can't see this. She nods slightly, and he feels her ears bob. He repeats the stroke once. And then a second time. One more time, and he sees her right foot twitch. Her body has never told him that before. He can't see it, but her right eyelid has also done the same thing.

He is incorrigible; he can't stop himself from continuing to pet her ears in this fashion. The ears seem to be warming up slightly. Her breaths are even, as if in a trance. He keeps going until, with a dreamy sigh, she collapses against him, going limp. The fox feels a shot of alarm. He cranes his head around to look at her, but his worry melts into bemusement. Her eyes are nearly totally closed, her pupils unfocused, and she has a smile drawn all the way across her face that he would charitably describe as "idiotic".

He waves his hand in front of her face. There is no response. "You doing okay there?"

"Hmmmmm?" Her voice is dazed and she turns her head slightly towards the sound. She seems amused at the sound of her own voice and starts giggling lightly.

"Well! I'm going to have to remember this one."

-The Tummy-

The bunny groans in ecstasy, stretching herself out fully along the fox's body. He feels her feet rub against his legs. Her arms move across his stomach and then his chest. "You're so long!"

"I'm really only average-sized for a fox," he quips. His eyebrows wiggle, as if he wasn't obvious enough.

Her eyes narrow as this isn't lost on her. "Well you're big to a bunny..." He looks away with a sheepish smile, his ears warm.

She crawls up playfully onto him and his eyes snap back to her to take in the prowling bunny. She looks down at his chest and starts rubbing. He sighs. Her paws are so, so soft. For comparison, he moves his own paws up to his stomach and feels the pads press on it. The bunny lacks pads; her fingers are simply velvety delight. As she moves downwards slightly, she sees the fox's hands apparently guarding his stomach.

She grins impishly; she isn't having that. She takes his wrists and moves his hands from his midsection. She starts to lightly pet at his cream-colored tummy fluff. Her hands are too soft. His eyes squint shut and his mouth wobbles. She pets for a little while before hearing a huff come from the fox. She looks upward and sees him desperately trying to avoid laughing.

"Oh really now?" The bunny feels very empowered.

The fox winces. He'd never had someone want to be this close and intimate with him, so his tummy fur basically had gone untouched by another ever since he was a kit. With those soft, gray and white hands touching him...

She starts to tickle wildly. He laughs, thrashing out in pleasure. She relishes having him completely at her mercy. To prove this, she stops tickling him briefly and lets him calm, just for a few seconds. Then, her hands are all over his sides and tummy again, and he laughs anew at the pleasant torture. He's helpless, and she loves it.

She finally lets him go. He stops flailing and sighs. He catches her staring at her and his eyes squint and ears go back. His tail's wagging slows. He looks like he feels shame.

"Don't," the bunny crawls up and affectionately pets his head fur, and over the flattened ears. She touches her forehead to his. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

She kisses his forehead lightly.

-The Hip-

They're making lunch together at the counter. Both the fox and bunny are still wearing no more than what they came into the world with. He's in her way; she wants to get past him. She rams her hip into his. He looks at her and lolls his head. She smirks and is unapologetic.

"You could just ask," the fox says.

"That's no fun," the bunny responds.

"I'll show you 'fun'," he grins slyly.

"Ooh, please do!" She's excited.

He scoops her up into his arms and lifts her from the ground. She eagerly wraps herself around him; he barely has to support her. They kiss, deeply. The fox and bunny's muzzles do not fit together perfectly, but they do not care one bit. They kiss over and over, their lunch forgotten. Her arms scrunch his back fur and rub his ears. His massage her back and touch her tail. He really can't stop touching her tail. A deep grumbling sound breaks their rapture.

She giggles at him through her teeth; their foreheads pressed together. Her smile is so pretty to him.

"Shut up," she laughs.

"I'm pretty sure that was you, my dear," he says.

"I know it was, dumb bunny tummy," she continues to giggle. "I'm hungrier for you than for my lunch."

"Easy, girl," he sets her down. She looks disappointed. "Don't pout. Once you get fed you'll have more energy for your bunny activities."

"Wow, I think this is the first time you've pretended to care about how much 'energy' I had," she folds her arms, and is smirking.

"Well, I'm hungry too," he resumes making his sandwich.

-The Teeth-

He kisses her cheek and moves down to her neck. She turns her head up and away, a small smile on her face, her eyes closed. He hesitates; the gesture is so small, but so powerful. She lays there completely defenseless; her trust in him is absolute. He feels a surge; his nerves seem to galvanize. No vixen could make him feel what he is feeling right now. He leans in to kiss her neck, gratefully. She hums in delight as she feels the small kiss.

But the temptation to misbehave is enormous. His tail furtively swishes once. His mouth barely opens and he runs the flats of his teeth along her neck. He growls softly. She doesn't move, but she gasps. He doesn't quite know which kind of gasp it is.

"S-stop..." she says weakly.

Too much, too far. He kisses her neck once more in apology and starts to plant more along her shoulder. But her paws thrust out for his shoulders and grab indistinctly. She groans in... frustration? The fox is curious; he looks at the bunny. She runs her front teeth along her lip; she looks like she wants to speak. He smiles softly and waits.

"Stop teasing me," she clarifies, "and just... do it." He blinks, and his heart leaps up a bit. She looks embarrassed, but her ears are still pert.

"Are you afraid of me?" The way he says it this time is so confident. His eyes are barely open and his grin is large. She's about to respond when he bares his teeth at her and growls again, then plays his tongue along his angled teeth meaningfully. Her pupils shrink and her nose begins to twitch. She feels his paw on her chest as her breaths accelerate and her heart races. She sees his nose twitch once; even her smell must convey her feelings.

But no, her body is a traitor. She is in control. She shakes her head firmly.

The fox seems intrigued. He leans in, using his nose to push her chin out of the way. She doesn't resist. He sees her swallow. He feels her breaths change pace rapidly as she tries to control them. He opens his mouth and wraps it around the bunny's neck. She lets loose a trembling gasp. Very, very carefully and slowly he lets his teeth move into her neck, just barely.

Her response is immediate and complete. His eyes take in the movement of her gray fur as she slowly writhes. His ears hear her desperate moan. His tongue lashes her neck just once to taste her. His paw feels her chest give away her breath of release. And his nose, well, her scent is very enticing.

He retracts the bite, to another sharp gasp. He tries moving his tooth-tips against the rest of her unmarked neck. She is starting to pant. He greedily moves his head away from her to take in her expression. Her eyes are barely open as she tries to fight her panting, but is unable. Her trembling paws slowly reach for his cheeks and try to grab on. The grip is weak. Just like her, a thought intrudes on the fox. He moves his head subtly and tries to dismiss it, but it returns. Weak, and helpless. And you are strong. You are primal.

He knows what she craves next, as he does the same. She can't form the words even though her mouth is moving, but it makes no difference. He takes one of his paws and touches her arm, moving it. He strokes along her arm's length and takes her paw in his. His grip is tight, and her fingers barely move. This time, she is giving herself to him, and they both know it.

An ancient command sears into his mind: Take your prey.

He is not going to resist it, but he's not going to obey it in the intended way, either. He feels like his body is starting to move on its own, and hers returns both relief and anticipation. He can't hold back his most base desires any longer, and an unusual feeling bursts from the pit of his stomach.

As he acquiesces, one last lucid thought enters his mind. He wonders if maybe he is the one that is afraid.

-The Nose-

The bunny can't help but laugh as the fox's wet nose tickles her. It rubs all over her, sniffing and nuzzling. It feels so good to her; she can't believe he's never tried this with her before. For his part, the fox is consumed with heady pleasure of all of her delightful scents; he feels nearly inebriated. His tail is almost a blur behind him. He sees her staring at him, her teeth bright as she giggles through them. He stops momentarily and his eyes are half-lid, but instead of smirking, his face looks dopey and he pants a bit.

She brings both of her hands to her face and a laugh bursts out. "See? I told you it would feel so good to just let go and let your instincts take over."

These words are a blow to him and he snaps back to reality. He recoils as if he's been released from a spell. "I... should stop. I should stop. I'm stopping." He shakes his head.

"What's wrong?" She pursues. "You love it, I love it..."

He places a hand to his own chest; his heart is beating so fast. "I can't let myself go wild; I don't want to lose control."

She tries to bring him back with a teasing smile. "You know that's never stopped me."

"That's different," he looks away. "I know how strong you are, but you're still a bunny. You're still prey. I'm at least a foot taller than you. I have sharp teeth. If I lose control, I could hurt you... seriously, even."

"Predators don't go savage..." the bunny tried to reassure him.

"I can't be so selfish," the fox shakes his head firmly. "It doesn't matter what I might like or even what you might like. I'm not going to release control of myself just for a bit of fun if it will cause a lifetime of regret."

"I will pull you back if you go too far," she says boldly. "I can do it; I've already done it twice."

"You can't know that," his teeth show in shame. "You did it both times on accident."

"I have absolute confidence in myself; you know that," she flashes such a wicked grin. She draws closer to him on her hands and knees, her hips held high. She's so small, but he feels paralyzed. "And if you ever do anything I don't want to be done, I will stop you. I will control you." As he has no tie on, she grabs his shoulders and draws him close. Her voice is quiet, but strong. "You belong to me."

The fox is stunned. "I um... okay..." The bunny starts to rub her chin over his face.

"You know what this is, right?" Her voice still has an air of danger to it.

"I... think so?" The fox is starting to become unsure about a lot of things.

Her chin rubs possessively along his muzzle. Her hands are on his shoulders. He's absolutely still. "Mhm. That's right, my big, strong predator fox. You belong to a bunny." She nuzzles him. He feels like he can't move. She tries sniffing him a bit. She likes his smell. "I think you like this, huh?"

"Maybe a little..." his ears feel like they are blazing.

"Maybe a lot," her voice is bewitching. "You want to see what your 'savage' bunny will do to you?"

"If I say no...?" His voice is cautious.

"Then no wild bunny," she promises him.

"Then uh... y-yes."

"That's the spirit..."

-The Night-

She sees his tail push the covers up as it attempts to wag through them. He's holding her very close and kissing all over her ears and face. They share one earnest kiss between their muzzles, then the fox settles in for rest with his mate.

The bunny is utterly content in body and heart. But her mind is starting to betray her. She feels words bubble up. She doesn't want to say them. Her teeth show, but he doesn't see them.

"Do you regret anything about us?" She can't believe it comes out. Her ears fall back and are hot with shame.

"No. Never."

It was what she needed to hear, and she knew he wouldn't say anything different. But he had said it so firmly and resolutely. She knows it's the truth. She wants him to throw it back at her. She wants the question to return to her and make her confess, but he won't say it.

"I regret... the press conference." She has to admit.

"Don't," his voice is firm.

"W-why not?" Her voice wavers. "I was so stupid."

"You needed to be," the fox says, as if he was ready for it. Her breaths burst out of her in protesting noises. He knows he has to explain. "That evening, you saw the real me. And, you saw the real you. You needed to. You needed to know that." She sniffles a bit. "And at the bridge, when I tried to walk away from you... do you know why I did?"

"I don't..." the bunny releases a soft sob.

"Because it had been three months, and I wouldn't let go," he admits. "I never let anything go. Maybe I wanted to stay hurt. But I was afraid of you, that day."

"Of me?" Her surprise halts her tears.

"I knew you had enough time to figure us out," he says. "You knew who you were and who I was. And you were about to show me. I was about to see the real you, and the real me. And, I didn't know if I wanted to."

"Why not?" She pets his chest, giving it a nuzzle with her eyes shut and head tilted. His fur dries her eyes.

"I had gone through the scenario a hundred times in my head," he admits, "of you finding me there, if you came back. I wondered which one would occur. I had your pen, and I turned it on so I would always know which one it was. But it was the most... the most powerful one. I saw the real you and... I loved her. Instantly."

She gasps.

"Sure took me a long time to tell you, didn't it?" His grin is charming. "I tried, believe me. At least fifty different ways. My sly fox tongue always failed me. I was so afraid of ruining what you had so magnanimously granted me. A new life, with you. I got so close that one time, our first day on the job... but I turned it around on you."

She remembers it as clear as if it had just happened. The quip had been so him, and her response was just as natural. "You don't resent your dumb bunny for taking so long to figure it out? Almost three years...?"

"Not at all," he says. "What could I honestly ask from you? We're different species. You altered the course of my life for the infinitely better. I couldn't ask for this. What's going on right now? This is just total bliss; heaven. I can't ask for that."

"I'm giving it to you anyway," she says. "My attention is mine to give you. I care about you so much, and I won't let you be one tiny bit less happy than I can make you."

He strokes her ears. "I know you won't. I've known it for quite awhile. Just like you know you've had my complete devotion for just as long."

She kisses him. At first it is aimed poorly, but she restrains it and reins it in; she wants it to mean something. He wraps her up tight and joins her in passion.

"I know!" She gasps out of the kiss as if it takes effort to remove her muzzle from his. "I know I love you." She strokes his face tenderly, and her face seems weak. She doesn't cry.

He smiles at her. "Yes. Yes you do."