Honey brown eyes blinked open blearily, a mixture of the day's happenings befuddled with sleep rousing the youth from slumber. It was still dark. What had happened? He remembered walking in the woods and then he'd fallen asleep.

Something about sheep.

And then what?

Oh, no.

No frigging way!

He looked outside, where the sky was a dark purplish gray. A bright white moon shone majestically high above. Ichigo swallowed. He'd totally forgotten about the sheep! If the moon was already this high, that meant it was late into the night. And night brought not so good things, especially not to herbivores still roaming out in a corralled pasture, where the wild could sneak in if and when they pleased.

Scratch the sheep! Where the hell was he?

It was so dark where he was sitting, covered in something warm and soft and musky smelling. It was nice. But the dark wasn't. Ichigo felt around the ground he was on and frowned. This floor didn't seem like the earthy mound he remembered falling asleep on earlier.

He'd met the wolf. The rush of memory flooding his mind shook him. Panic reared its ugly head as the youth scrambled to his feet, wincing as the top of his head collided with something hard. Ichigo put his hand up and felt around tentatively. It felt like rock.

He was in a cave.

Who had put him in there? Was it the wolf? Ichigo hastily checked his body for any missing limbs.

"I haven't had the liberty of tasting you yet, don't worry."

At the sound of the husky voice, Ichigo jumped a mile. His frightened chocolate eyes landed on the wolf's silhouette, which blocked the moonlight streaming in from the only entrance and exit of the cave. The light shone on the large body of fur, illuminating the wolf's lithe, majestic frame. Ichigo swallowed audibly.

"You . . . you just talked."

In response, the wolf tilted its head to the left intelligently. "I just did, yes."

"T - To me." Ichigo felt his knees grow weak, and dropped to the ground beneath him slowly. "Am I dreaming?"

"You tell me."

The youth rubbed at his face with both hands, pinching the skin on the back of one hand to test his pain receptors. It hurt.

"Are you afraid?"

The husky voice sounded a whole lot closer than before. The wolf was near, close enough to make Ichigo's heart do a dance of fear in his ribcage, but not close enough to touch.

"I . . . yes."

The wolf dropped something on the ground and nosed it toward him. "I brought dinner."

Ichigo stayed frozen, scared stiff and inhaling deep gulps of air nervously. He was actually conversing with a wolf, which was huge up close. Huge body meant huge teeth, and possibly a huge appetite to boot. He was certain he was about to wet his pants.

"When you said . . ." Ichigo trailed off as his voice cracked. He steeled a little more courage up before continuing. "You didn't taste me yet . . . Are you going to?"

The wolf seemed to smile, jaws gaping as it panted. Ichigo couldn't see its front much, just and illuminated outline of its body, which made it all the worse.

"Do you want me to?"

Ichigo felt his hair stand as the wolf spoke in a lower, huskier tone, sending tingles running up and down his spine.

"Um . . . I'd rather you not, please."

"I think you'll enjoy it." The wolf pressed closer slowly, as if stalking him. "I promise not to use any teeth."

Ichigo backed further away into the cave, heart hammering a drumming beat in his chest. "Please don't do this."

The wolf stopped, tilting its head again as if considering. "Are you hungry?"

The youth blinked down at the lump of something between his boots. It was giving off a dead sort of smell, accompanied by a strong stench of blood and rawness. The wolf had brought him fresh kill - food he would consent to consume if cooked. Ichigo was hungry, but the thought of sinking his teeth into raw meat made his stomach churn. Still, the wolf had asked him a simple question.

"I am."

"You're honest. I like that."

"What is it?" Ichigo jerked his chin at the lump of meat.

"A rabbit." The wolf sat on its haunches, and although it was pitch black Ichigo could tell it was watching him. "Are you going to eat it?"

"N-Not when it's raw." Ichigo fought to keep the stammer from his voice. "Wait, rabbit? Did this one have two hurt front paws?"

"It did. A little too easy for hunting, but it's food all the same."

Damn.

He'd only just released the darling white rabbit this morning.

The wolf yawned again, jaws opening in a wide gape. Ichigo could see rows and rows of shiny white teeth. He clenched and unclenched his fingers on the soft, warm blanket that covered him previously. He wasn't as terrified as before, but he was still afraid.

"If you're not eating it, may I?"

The wolf slunk closer, bushy white tail swaying from side to side. Ichigo nodded and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Please do."

At first all he wanted to do was run away to someplace safe, but now he was sort of warming up to the wolf. It was nuts. He was talking to a wolf that could talk. It felt like a total dream, but the youth could tell this was as real as the pinch he'd given himself earlier.

"I'll eat this outside, since I assume the scent of fresh kill turns you off."

What a polite guy. Ichigo found a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Thank you, that's really nice of you."

Here he was, sitting in a cave exchanging polite talk with a carnivore, who could very well decide to make him its next meal. Ichigo felt a strange sense of calm as the wolf picked up the lump of meat and loped side with an easy gait. The youth decided to crawl out after it, but not before picking up the large blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders. It smelled divine, like warm earthy musk. Once outside, he stood up to full height and surveyed his surroundings. With a gasp, the teen came to a sudden realization that hit him like an epic slap to the cheek. He was on the mountain!

Which obviously explained the cave, though he had no idea why he hadn't come to this conclusion earlier. Karakura village and all its bright torches looked like pinpricks in the vast stretch of valley below.

"Y - You said you'd take me home when we were in the woods!" Ichigo's voice came out surprised and accusing.

There was no sign of the wolf, but Ichigo heard him speak.

"I never said I would bring you to yours."

True.

It would take him a day at least to navigate down the mountain and make his way home to the village. Something flashed in his memory, a hand reaching out to grab his jerkin, pulling him upright. That was before he'd blacked out like a total fool. That hand had definitely seemed human-like, but with his previously befuddled mind, there was no telling what it had actually been. He studied the wolfs large paws as it padded over to him, silently.

"Were you a man, earlier? How did you bring me up here?"

"I have my ways." The wolf grinned.

It wasn't a pleasant grin, but it wasn't exactly an unpleasant one, either. Ichigo had mixed feelings about the wolf.

"Are you going to eat me?"

He had to ask that question. It was annoying the hair off of his head. If possible, the wolf's grin grew bigger. Out in the moonlight, its fur shone a brilliant whitish gray, tapering down his body till his tail, which was a lovely grayish black at the tip.

"Well, you are good enough to eat."

The wolf had a lovely voice. Rich, low and matured in a deep and masculine way. He sounded like chocolate malt running down a porcelain cup. Ichigo proceeded to tell him so. The wolf regarded him with a panting smile, steel gray eyes glinting every which way his head tilted as the moonlight was reflected.

"Was that a ruse to not make me eat you?"

Ichigo broke out into a smile. This wolf was a natural at humor. It was crazy and wonderfully amazing in its own way. Ichigo tried to clear his mind of tangled thoughts.

"I haven't the foggiest."

"Clearly you're at a loss for words at the moment. It must be my overwhelming presence. Is my smile bothering you?"

The wolf was smiling rather wolfishly. As wolfish as wolves could smile, that is. Ichigo felt a mixture of amused fascination and horror with the way the neat rows of sharp, sharp teeth gleamed and glinted in the light from the moon. His feet brought him a step closer before his brain registered his movements. And when he'd finally realized what his actions were bringing him closer to, it was a bit late to back out.

Long, slender fingers threaded through the fur on the wolf's head. Liquid silver eyes watched the youth warily as Ichigo slowly got down on his knees, facing the beast's shaggy face. The wolf allowed Ichigo to run his fingers through his coarse fur, and lowered his eyelids when the youth used his blunt nails to scratch at the underside of his fur, feeling the downy softness beneath the coarse exterior.

"You're so warm." Ichigo breathed, spreading his hands out in a loving embrace as he mindlessly brought himself closer to the wolf.

"Then you must be cold."

"I am."

"Even under the coat?"

Ichigo answered with a happy smile.

Being this close to the wolf, sharing its nearness, invading its personal space - though whether it minded or not was an entirely different story - was exhilarating, breath-taking and mind-numbing in countless ways. Ichigo turned his face to the side and pressed his cheek to the wolf's fur. The majestic beast was saying something, but Ichigo's brain wasn't processing anything aside from the rich bass of his voice and the way his furry - yet firm and toned - chest rumbled along with his lovely voice.

"Whose coat am I wearing?"

"Mine." The wolf leaned down and lipped at his hair.

Feeling the warm breath blowing his hair on his head, Ichigo chuckled. "I don't know any wolves who wear coats."

"You do now."

Ichigo buried his face into more fur. He wanted to stay like this forever, freeze time for everything save the wolf and himself, and continue rubbing his cheek into the soft, warm fur that was so inviting. He'd barely gotten over the reality that he could converse with wolves - even if it was just this wolf, it didn't matter. Ichigo was feeling a joyous burst of happiness and calm he could barely contain his emotions. Part of him wanted to jump and sing and dance, while the other part kept him anchored to a wave of tranquility that kept washing over him in repeated, gentle rolls.

The wolf was saying something.

"You're the boy. That boy."

Ichigo was used to those words being shot out like bullets that went straight to his heart by the other village kids, but when the wolf said them, it wasn't judgmental or accusing or jeering. It was merely said as it was.

"You know about me."

His words came out exactly as he meant them to; flat, knowing, expectant. Not a question, more of a statement.

"I do." The wolf nuzzled at his neck, cold wet nose bringing up gooseflesh on his skin.

Ichigo held his breath, afraid to say anything because he didn't want to ruin this moment of knowing, sharing, speaking. It felt like he was spilling his deepest, darkest secret. And in a way, it was.

"You're the boy who calls for me."

x

Urahara was tidying up in his shed, tucking unused saddles away on their nails and packing boxes on top of each other to save walking space around the narrow area. There was a whinny from the stables as his horses communicated over a large trough of wheat and barleycorn.

"Kisuke."

There had been no knock, no stomp of boots on the hard ground in the entrance, but there was a figure at the door, blocking out what was left of the waning moonlight. Urahara ran a hand through his hair and turned around, eyes searching the other man's warily.

"He's not here, Isshin."

Ichigo hadn't come home from the morning's chore – bringing the sheep up to the grazing pasture and then back at sundown. The sheep were still at the corral when Urahara had gone up to find him. He'd brought them back without Ichigo, and had then walked over to the Kurosaki household to ask for the youth and return his excited little dog, Ari. Isshin had been surprised and concerned, but he'd tried to act nonchalant for the sake of his daughters. Urahara could understand the need to keep the young children in a calm state, what with all the kids and livestock going missing since rumors of a band of gypsies camping in the woods flew around in rampant freedom. Word travelled fast around the village. Karakura was the poster child for gossip mongering.

"Where do you think he would have gone?" Tone of voice bordering on accusatory, Isshin looked gruff with worry, the lines hardening his facial features even more.

"If I knew, I would tell you." Urahara said quietly, his words without venom.

He understood the parent before him. Boys Ichigo's age rarely went missing for long – they always turned up dead in the woods beyond the village, further into the mountainous area. And they were always, always left with their eyes intact for some ungodly reason - even the flesh-eating birds stayed away from their eyeballs. Blank, accusing stares that was left for the fraught-with-worry parents; shocked mothers, depressed fathers.

This was the secret of Karakura Village.

Urahara walked over and placed a hand on Isshin's shoulder. He gave the man a light squeeze. This was no time for dredging up folk tales. This was no time for sorrow, either. Anxious concern took place in every weather hardened line on Isshin's face. It was clear that the man had nothing else to lead him on. Ichigo wasn't the sort to just vanish without informing anyone where he was going. Since the bullying and taunting had begun as a result of the youth's cries about the mysterious wolf, Ichigo hadn't really been the same. Despite all this occurring over a year ago, the teen hadn't really been allowed to forget about the incident, thanks to immature villagers - mostly teens Ichigo's age - who just couldn't let it rest.

"We'll send out some search parties." Urahara reached for his white and green striped hat. "Ready some lanterns and climbing equipment. I have a feeling he's up in the mountains."

Isshin swallowed his fears and turned on one booted heel, most likely running on autopilot. Urahara sighed and retrieved the saddles and bridles he had just put away.

x

"Stay with me for the night. I don't think you can make it down the mountain in this light."

It was a generous invitation. Ichigo accepted it with a soft smile; he loved how the wolf would say things like 'in this light', instead of 'in the dark'. Anything but the present description - the boring ways of describing things as they really are. Ichigo was sure the wolf wouldn't say: 'It's dark right now.' Instead he was fairly sure he would say: 'It's not quite light at the moment.'

He worried a little, that this was just a hazy dream and he would wake up any moment now to face the teasing taunts of the other village boys. He wanted to pinch himself repeatedly to see if he was truly awake. Still, it probably wouldn't be a good idea in front of the wolf. In any case, the wolf was kind to him. This was the start of a new friendship.

"How is it that you can talk and other animals can't?" The youth asked. "And do you have a name? What should I call you? I mean, I just thought that calling you 'The Wolf' might be a little strange, not to mention rude, although I've already christened you as The Wolf. Hey, you have a title now. But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want you calling me 'The Boy', because that would totally not define me as me. At all. I mean, yeah, you know how they say we all have names for a reason? Just saying. Well, it's not really a saying everyone else uses, it's probably just me. And I just thought about it. I know this is probably really awkward for you as well. I mean, it is for me. Not that I don't like it. I do. It's just. It's hard to say, sort of."

The wolf chuckled.

He stopped himself by clapping both hands over his mouth in a sort of strangled fashion. Here he was, embarrassing himself like a total fool in front of someone he wanted to impress. And then a thought wormed its way into his mind. Why on Earth was he trying to impress a wolf? But this wasn't just any wolf. This was the Wolf.

"Wow." Ichigo blurted out before he could stop his mouth from working. "I'm actually talking to a wolf. How amazing is that?"

"Super." The wolf agreed with him. "I'm happy to have placed such a a good impression on you."

"Please tell me this is real."

"This is real." The wolf repeated, and it seemed like he was smiling.

"So what's your name?" Ichigo asked tentatively, peeking between his fingers.

"My name is Stark."

x

I wrote this in the office today. For some reason I am so very happy, lol. :D

Thanks for all your reviews! A round of beer and marshmallow cookies for all~