My eyes flickered open to the morning sun's warmth, and I stretched awake with a yawn. My cheerful thoughts vanished as I turned my gaze to the empty bedroll beside me. He had left. I sighed softly, wondering where he had gone as I ate a quick breakfast. "I hope he hasn't opened his wound again..."

Tidying up the mess my equipment had been left in and re-covering the cave entrance with foliage, I made my way out to today's survey area - the south slope of the mostly dormant volcano at the center of this island. I looked about for any tracks as I left, but the rocky terrain around my cave made such marks impossible. My trip was mostly uneventful, but every so often I would stop and look around - the inescapable feeling that someone was watching me followed my footsteps all the way to the hidden hot springs at the end of my survey path. Groaning softly and setting down my pack (filled with freshly-collected mineral and plant samples to be sent back to headquarters later), I stretched and rested, surreptitiously glancing about for what I suspected had been following me. There! A flash of blue behind a rocky outcropping confirmed my suspicions. "Come out, Prox! I know you're there."

I greeted him with a grin as he poked his snout out from his hiding spot, grumbling quietly about being detected. "...my injury made it difficult to move silently."

In the full sunlight, I could see just how filthy he was - he must have had to crawl to my cave through the mud before I found him yesterday. He was favoring his leg slightly, but seemed to have avoided aggravating the injury since last night. "Still shy? It would have been nice to have someone to talk to during my rounds today."

He glanced to the side awkwardly as he approached. "...I'm not used to dealing with others. I... I wanted to thank you for your help." He managed to look me in the eye, his crimson stare wavering only slightly.

I smiled back warmly. "You're welcome. How's your leg?"

He put a little more pressure on it experimentally, wincing only slightly. "Better." I thought I saw the hint of a smile on his lips. He looked about at the steaming pools of water all around this area. "What is this place?"

I stepped over to the edge, pulling off my boots and socks. "Hot springs. The volcano warms the water from below." I turned to him as I tested the water with my toes. "You should take a dip - might help you get clean. No offense, but you're filthy."

He blushed, obviously embarrassed at his unkempt state. "I know... it's too much dirt to lick clean. I don't know about the water, though..."

I grabbed his wrist and gently pulled him down to the water's edge. "It's not deep. And the warmth feels nice. I'll have to redress your leg anyway, so don't worry about getting the bandage wet." I pulled off my shirt and stripped out of my pants, hesitating for a moment and turning away before slipping out of everything else; I usually didn't have to worry about privacy here, so I didn't have any swimwear or extra underclothes, and it would be silly to get them soaked for the sake of modesty around someone who didn't wear clothing at all. A familiar shudder ran down my spine as I slipped into the water - the same sensation I had felt when he was... reading my mind? Sensing something about me? I tried to hide my blush as I turned back to him, sighing contentedly as the warm water eased away the day's aches and tensions.

He was sitting on the edge, his eyes darting away from me and to the water as I turned to him. Tentatively, he slipped his footpads into the water, a half-groan, half-shudder escaping him as they warmed. "This... is nice." He smiled quietly, enjoying himself for the first time since I met him.

I smiled happily, floating over to him and grabbing his hands, urging him into the water. "Come on - let's get you clean."

"Ah! He opened his mouth in surprise as I pulled him in, rather cute gasps and a barely contained moan escaping him as the hot water soaked up to his neck. He sighed happily and opened his eyes, and I blushed as I realized how close our faces were, backing off a few inches. "So... uh, I guess I should get some soap for you." The water around him was already dirty from the dried mud and dust in his fur.

He smiled a little, enjoying the water immensely as I rifled through my pack at the edge of the pool for a block of soap and a travel bottle of shampoo, which he eyed quizzically as I brought them over. "What are those?"

"Something to help you get clean." I motioned for him to turn around, and he hesitatingly followed my directions as I began to lather up the fur on his head and down his back, scrubbing him clean with my fingertips, which he seemed to enjoy once he relaxed to my touch, little sighs and whimpers passing his lips as I slowly cleansed his fur. There was a lot of dirt, but his coat was beautiful beneath it all. And so soft! It was fun to just run my fingers through it after I'd gotten it clean. I gave him the soap to clean his front while I cleaned and shampooed his lower back and tail. As much as he enjoyed having the rest of him cleaned, I think he really loved the treatment I gave his tail. Not that he said so - if anything, it made him more quiet, but he was blushing furiously and biting his tongue to keep from whimpering. When I got to the base of his tail, I felt him gasp, and a shudder ran through his whole body... probably a really... sensitive spot. I blushed pretty deep myself, trying not to think about it; those kinds of thoughts could have been disastrous in such an exposed situation.

When he finished his front, I had him sit on a shallow shelf of rock near the edge so I could clean his feet. He seemed embarrassed at this as well, blushing and avoiding eye contact as I scrubbed and massaged the pads of his paws - actually cute and pink under all the dirt - though I caught a small smile upon his lips whenever I glanced up. "There! You look much better... you've got really beautiful fur when you don't keep it covered like that."

He smiled shyly, only blushing deeper at my compliment. "Thank you..."

I turned to my own hygiene, untying my shoulder-length ponytail and dunking under the water before lathering it with the last of the shampoo - his fur had demanded the use of most of it - I would have to get more the next time I traveled to town. I jumped a little in surprise as I felt his paws on my back, using the soap to help clean me in return. "Ah... thanks..." I smiled back at him, and caught a tentative smile on his lips. "So, Prox... how is it you communicate? Are you telepathic?"

His paws slowed for a moment as he considered his answer. "I... I suppose you could say that. I sense everything around me: air pressure, temperature changes, pheromones, scents, minute changes in breath, heartbeat, and expression. All of this amounts to something of an aura about a person or an animal. I think I can feel currents of some strange energy too, through my bones. It lets me... resonate... my thoughts into the minds of others. Among other things." He continued scrubbing gently down my back.

I thanked him with a blushing smile and took the soap to finish cleaning myself, ducking under the water again to rinse the shampoo from my hair. We spent a few more minutes just soaking, basking in the warmth of the springs, before the hint of twilight started to color the sky and I pulled myself up onto dry land near my pack. I felt the same strange sensation run down my spine as I got out... like he was watching me. When I looked back, however, he was steadfastly staring off at nothing in a different direction. Blushing a bit, I dried off and slipped back into my clothes. Hearing Prox clamber out himself, I turned to offer him my towel, and had to quickly hold my mouth shut as I realized how much his fur served to preserve his modesty. At least it did when he wasn't soaking wet, which he was. I bit my lip and turned away, trying not to think about it, even though certain parts of my mind wanted very much to do nothing else.... I took a deep breath to clear my thoughts, mentally scolding myself for even considering such a thing.

Turning back, I was relieved to see he had mostly dried himself off. Before I gathered my things and struck off for 'home', I took the time to change his bandage - the wound had mostly closed, and looked clean with no sign of infection. "You heal quickly. This should be good until tomorrow."

He smiled, far more readily than when I had first met him. "Thank you again, Daniel... May I visit you tomorrow, then?"

"Of course. You're always welcome, my friend." I smiled back warmly.

"Many thanks... my... friend...."Chapter End Notes:Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended