Nival (boyxboyxboyxboy)

Recovery

Chapter 5.

Bodies moved around him and something cold touched his nape. Matthew jolted in surprise and looked around, eyes blurry with sleep. Mian grinned at him and Fie narrowed his eyes at the taller boy, a thin growl rumbling in his throat. "I said gently."

Mian directed a canine huff towards Fie and smoothed his chilled nose against Matthew's cheek. "I'm cold and you smell nice."

"I do?" Matthew rubbed his eyes. His torso was uncomfortably twisted against the fur and he rolled to lie on his back. Mian and Fie crouched to allow him the movement, but Mian lay right back down on top of him, cool fur sliding against his skin.

"Yes. Like Fie." Mian sniffed Matthew's mouth and Fie stood. Several of the slender aliens were leaving and Fie quickly caught up and disappeared into the crowd.

"Where's he going?" Matthew pushed up on his elbow and winced at the ache in his spine.

"To prepare a meal." Mian said and watched Matthew intently. "I tracked two Capra today."

"But he didn't even say goodbye." Matthew frowned with hurt. He thought Fie and him had shared something special - but looking around at the entwined aliens, perhaps that was just their culture. He hoped not.

"No, he didn't." Mian agreed simply and cocked his head. "Do you know what a Capra is?"

Matthew forced back the tears and shook his head. Now it was Mian's turn to frown in puzzlement and his fox ear tilted.

"No." Matthew clarified.

"It's a large animal. They climb the highest peaks and run very fast. Their meat will feed us for a long time. I scented them three days ago and today I found them." Mian's tail wagged so hard, Matthew felt the movement in his hips.

"That's...really impressive." Matthew said and Mian grinned, fangs just as white as his mouth.

Mian was taller than Fie and heavier. His body wasn't anywhere near muscular, but his thighs felt rock hard where they straddled Matthew's hips. It was no wonder he could climb and run so effortlessly.

Mian didn't say anything after that, he just leaned down to sniff at the human's hairline and touched Matthew's ear with his clawed fingertips. Tracing the shell and rubbing the lobe.

It was incredibly intimate and Matthew swallowed uncertainly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see groups of aliens nuzzling each other. Both males and females and same sexes alike. But the atmosphere didn't feel sexual. It felt...relaxed.

These aliens were physically larger than the group that had just departed. They looked stronger and it made sense that they wouldn't be as wary of a stranger.

Mian's body had warmed now and his curious hands moved to Matthew's neck and shoulders, kneading and stroking the skin. It was beginning to feel good and Matthew closed his eyes.

"Will you groom me?" Mian murmured in his ear.

It was a bizarre question, but after the morning he'd had Matthew just lifted his hands to the boy's head. He thought of a documentary he'd seen back home on ancient civilizations and how people used to groom - removing fleas and brushing each other's hair - as a way of socializing, bonding or resolving conflict. Perhaps, this was how humans used to be.

He didn't have a brush, but he carted his fingers carefully through Mian's puffy hair. The strands were feathery soft and lay flat for an instant, before they fluffed back up. He remembered how Fie enjoyed being scratched and he found the same spot on Mian's nape.

Mian crooned low in his throat and rested his head on Matthew's chest. The alien's fur was interesting. Fine as rabbits fur on his head and short and sleek on his body, made to resist water and snow. If Matthew brushed his hand in the opposite direction of the hairs, they felt almost brittle.