Aeris stepped inside, walking straight down the dark hallway towards the kitchen as he shut the door behind her. August followed her to the kitchen before he was stopped in the doorway. A slight hue of red crossed her face as she spoke in explanation, "As glad as I am that you are comfortable around me, could you go put on some clothes now?"

August looked down, turning a deep red before quickly running towards his bedroom in search of clothes. He grabbed an old tunic and some pants, throwing them on quickly. He flicked his hand, the lamp at his bedside turning off as he shut the door. He turned and made his way back to the kitchen silently. The sight he found was a welcome one in his normally quiet abode. Aeris was standing in front of the stove, a little dance in her step as she cooked something that smelled heavenly to August.

He couldn't help but smile a little at the elven girl dancing as she cooked, her back turned to him. August watched for a while as she continued to dance to the music that only she could hear. 'Thank god it's not slop again.' He thought. He cleared his throat causing Aeris to suddenly jump.

She looked back at him clearly embarrassed, "How… How long have you been there?" She asked him quietly.

August chuckled as he walked across the kitchen to sit at the table, "Not long. I just got done changing."

Aeris quickly plated the food and placed it in front of August. She went rummaging through the cupboards for some cups, filling it with some water before sitting down in front of him.

"So, what happened to bring on the panic attack?" She asked him as he ate. He could hear the concern in her voice, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that it stemmed from his nightmare. As far as she knew, he had long gotten over that trauma.

"I didn't have one. I promise. I just… slipped is all." August knew she wasn't convinced, but she didn't press for more information while they ate.

The sounds of the farm coming to life alerted August that it was time to get to work. He got up thanking Aeris for the food. “It’s always a pleasure to have you here Aeris, but I have chores to do if you'll excuse me. Don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll clean them later.”

The slender frame of the elven girl slumped, clearly disappointed. "Yeah, ok."

August couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Come now Aeris, you're already over two hundred years old. You can't act like a child forever."

"I am a child in my fathers eyes." She retorted, regaining a bit of defiance. "You go on ahead and tend to your fields. I'll clean this up."

Aeris quickly shooed him out the door. The beastkin man couldn't help but smile. It was nice having her around from time to time even if she was a bit rude at times. It was hard to tell what she was thinking at times but he always felt comfortable around her. It had come as a shock when she suddenly told him how she felt a year ago but he was a coward and didn't answer her at the time. Now he felt this strange awkwardness in the air whenever he spent time alone with her but couldn't bring himself to tell her to stay away.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts of the past before pulling on his leather boots to step into the grain covered land he called his field.

August stared out at his fields and gleamed with pride. He had been working on getting this field properly taken care of since he'd moved here four years prior. When he first started this now vibrant field full of life had been a barren muddy wasteland filled with decay and debris.

August toiled under the morning light feeding the livestock he'd managed to acquire from a nearby town. The autumn breeze kept things cool as he continued. His work was difficult, after all he couldn't really afford to pay for help. Those that could help wouldn't want to help him anyways. It was as he had begun to repair the fencing from a fallen tree that a rather familiar irritation came up the grass pathway.

"Nobody likes you living here, you know." The plump young boy jeered.

"Pleasant as always Richard." August turned away from the boy, determined to finish the fencing and then heading into his fields.

"My dad says your kind don't belong here." The boy continued as he followed behind August.

"Well tell your father that this town is not run by him but by our honorable mayor Sellia, and she says I do." August's words were cold as he continued to work at fixing the fence.

"He also says you need to be strung up in the field with the other scarecrows cuz that's all you're good for."

"Well," August sighed, his expression darkening as this irritation refused to leave. "Tell your dad if he has a problem with me, to ask Miss Marilyn across the way about what she saw in her vegetable garden the other day."

The young boy let out a huff and continued on his way down the path towards another house. Hopefully to torment someone else this morning. After finishing the fencing, August took a stroll around his field looking for any changes in the foliage.

Several hours passed as August worked hard to tend to his fields. He could hear a familiar elven voice calling out to him as he wiped the sweat that had begun to form on his brow under the afternoon sun.⁹

"August! Lunch is ready!" Aeris shouted cheerily.

He smiled to himself at the consideration before straightening up.

"I thought I told you to go home." He said with a bit of false annoyance.

"Well when you decide to eat something other than that heresy you call food, we can talk about it."

She stuck her tongue out before walking back inside. Her silvered dress seemed to glide across the hardwood floor as she stepped through August's house. He crossed the threshold and was immediately met with the scent of spices adorned on cooked meat and vegetables in the air. It permeated around his home with a sense of purpose, as if calling him deeper within the abode.

August made his way inside to find an unexpected guest seated at the table. An older elven woman with silvered strands in her beautiful golden hair sat expectantly. Gold rimmed spectacles framed her beautiful emerald eyes that always seemed to peer beyond where her gaze lied.

"Lady Sellia, to what do I owe the pleasure?" August asked with a hint of concern.

A faint smile crossed the elven woman's face as she stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"Do I need a reason to visit the residence my daughter is spending her time in?" She asked, her eyes studying him.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Of course not. I just wasn't expecting you or I'd have cleaned up first." August gestured at his dirt covered clothes.

She shook her head, "no need for that August. I'm only stopping by for a few minutes anyways."

Sellia turned to look at her daughter before speaking once more.

"Aeris. Step outside, I need to speak with August here."

Aeris looked at her mother concerned before silently nodding. She left the room and August immediately tensed. The elven woman across from him sighed, her brown furrowing as she spoke.

"Aeris spoke of you having another panic attack. August, are you okay?" Traces of concern could be heard in her voice.

"Yeah, I just… had a dream about the past is all." He rubbed the back of his neck avoiding eye contact.

"August. It's been ten years since then. You have to let it go, there's nothing you could have done."

He didn't say anything. August just stared at the wooden table, his hands tightening into fists as he silently nodded.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"No. Not yet. I don't really want to talk about it." He said quietly.

"Well you need to do it sooner rather than later. She's starting to wonder if you even like her, and to put it frankly I'm starting to as well."

Her words cut deep in August. He hadn't known how to respond when Aeris had told him how she felt so he was always in this awkward situation of trying to avoid the topic. But he knew he cared deeply for the elven girl. He swallowed hard and looked up at the older elven woman in front of him, her slender frame making his chair look large.

"That's not it. I just don't want to hurt her. And this isn't exactly an easy topic of conversation to explain. But I'll tell her soon. I promise."

Lady Sellia nodded in approval.

"Onto the real reason I'm here though. There have been reports of monsters sighted near the gates of the village." She said, her eyes watching him.

"And you want me to go deal with it?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"What? No! I'm telling you this since you live on the outskirts. Do you even have experience in that sort of thing?" She looked genuinely appalled at his question as she stared at him intently.

"I do have some experience fending off beasts of the forest that come bothering my fields but other than that I'd have to say no."

Sellia's gaze felt like it was peering through his very being. After a few moments of awkward silence August cleared his throat. The older elven woman snapped out of it and shook her head.

"Why would you think I want you to go deal with the monsters? We have the town guard for that kind of thing."

August gestured to his ear and tail as if that answered her question. When he saw she didn't understand him he let out a heavy sigh, answering her properly.

"I'm beastkin. No one cares about us."

The door burst open behind him to reveal a red faced Aeris.

"I care about you!" She shouted angrily.

"Aeris! I told you to stay out of this!" The older elven woman shouted in annoyance.

A faint hint of a smile crossed the corners of his mouth as August nodded. He looked back at Sellia, her expression unexpectedly dark.

"Is this because of the Orlain family's child?"

August could feel the hairs on the back of his neck and tail raise as the elven woman slowly got up.

"Shall I have a word with them?" She asked, her hands cracking the wood of the table as she pushed up from it.

August shook his head no. He looked at her calmly, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"You know how it is ma'am, in the eyes of man I am an abomination."

A cold filled the room originating from behind him. He turned to see Aeris, tears in her eyes as a thin mist swirled around her. The elven girl slowly stepped towards him but was stopped short by her mother.

"Calm yourself Aeris." She said with authority seeming to tower over her daughter.

August dared not speak. He knew that all he would do was make it worse if he did. The beastkin man slowly stood up and walked over to the crying elven girl. Magic still swirling through the air as she tried to calm down. She looked up at him and the air grew colder. August held his arms out calmly, hoping that if he did this she would relax the biting chill filling his home.

The swirling magic began to slow down, the cold beginning to fade as Aeris hugged him.

"You are not an abomination." She declared, her face buried into his shirt.

"I know Aeris. I know." He spoke softly as he stroked the top of her head looking at her mother.

The golden spectacled elf stared at him with a hint of satisfaction across her face. She said nothing but instead turned around and left. August stood in silence for a good ten minutes before Aeris finally released him. Amber orbs met Emerald as he looked down to see her staring up at him. What felt like an eternity passed before she began to lean in.

August hesitated. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He didn't know whether to go ahead with it or to stop her. Before he could come to a conclusion a knock at the door came to save him. He turned to look towards it but his face was pulled towards the elf girl in front of him.

"Ignore it." She said with a hue of crimson dancing across her face and ears. "Please."

August stared at her in disbelief. His mind raced as she stared up at him expectantly. 'This feels like a trap. Why does this feel like a trap? What should I do? What should I do? What should I-'

Before he could continue down the rabbit hole of uncertainty, golden locks leapt forward as Aeris pressed her lips to his. August's mind froze from the sudden kiss. He didn't know what to do. He'd never kissed anyone, let alone someone like her. What felt like blissful eons passed before a loud bang on his door snapped him back to reality.

He pulled away reluctantly, emerald orbs staring at him in a way that made him not want to go see who was at his door. When the next bang on the door occurred a hint of irritation crossed August's face. Aeris couldn't help but giggle at his reaction.

"Go see who it is, I'll make sure Lunch is still warm."

August nodded before walking to the front door, his mind all over the place. "What just happened?" He asked himself quietly.

When August opened the door he found someone unexpected. A stocky dwarven man stood there stroking his beard waiting impatiently. When he saw August his eyes lit up.

"Afternoon lad! I was beginning to think I'd missed ya." He smiled, his wrinkled gray eyes seeming to twinkle in the afternoon sun.

A sense of dread crossed August's mind at the sight of him. Not because he disliked the man, but because he knew what he was about to ask him.

"I can't go drinking with you right now, Mister Tyberius. I'm currently having lunch with Aeris and then I have to go check on the cattle."

"Is that what that heavenly smell is?" The dwarven man asked before pushing his way inside.

"Come on in I guess." August muttered with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Ah so she's why ya refused to join me lad." Tyberius said, looking at Aeris angrily.

A hint of scorn crossed her face before she looked at August. "Will the rock eater be joining us for lunch? I suppose I could get some pebbles for him."

The elderly dwarven man's bald head shone bright red as he looked up at her. His face twisted into one of malice and hatred.

"Tread carefully lass. I'd hate to hurt that pretty face." He growled.

"That's enough Tyberius. I think you should probably leave." August stepped between the two.

"Don't tell me ya got sucked in by her honeyed words lad!" He shouted angrily. "Ya can't fall for such a.. a.."

"Tyberius. Please leave." August said, his amber eyes glaring back at the older dwarf.

"To think that ya could be swayed by some… some…"

"Don't say it." August warned him looking at Aeris' darkening face.

"KNIFE EAR!"

As soon as the words left the dwarves' lips, ice filled the room. Tyberius jumped back shocked before pulling his axes from his belt.

"What do ya think yer doin' lass!"

"Take it back!" She screeched, pillars of ice forming around her.

"I don't take orders from knife ears!" He shouted back before reeling back to throw an ax.

"ENOUGH!" August boomed, his voice reverberating through the room.

"Tyberius. Get out."

He glared at the stout individual before turning to the fuming elf.

"Aeris. Please control the ice in my home."

A silence fell over the room. Tyberius was standing there ax in hand but unmoving. Aeris stood opposite of him, the temperature slowly picking back up. August motioned to the door angrily. The dwarf let out a heavy sigh and sheathed his axes before turning to the door.

"Keep careful with the company ya keep lad." And with that he silently trudged out the door.

August's ear twitched as he listened to the heavy footfall of the man leaving. The room was deathly silent, to the point that the only thing he could hear was the sounds of his cattle outside. He turned to look at Aeris who had already turned away and was quickly trying to clean up the mess her ice had made.

Her slender frame shook as she did. August slowly and silently walked up behind her before wrapping his arms around her gently. He slowly but surely swayed left and right humming a gentle tune to calm her down. This wasn't the first time those two had fought but it was the first time it had happened in August's home.

He looked around while continuing to sway, Aeris slowly beginning to sway with him gently.

"There you go," He said softly, his form holding her close. "Just breathe."

"I hate him."

August didn't say anything, he just stood there gently soothing her as she spoke.

"I hate that nickname." She said, her voice trembling.

August sighed softly. "I know."

"How dare he call me that!" She shouted, her small form shaking against his.

"He's gone now. You can ignore him just like you always do." August slowly began to loosen his hold.

Slender fingers squeezed his arm gently before finally releasing him. Aeris looked up at him and smiled a little.

"Thanks August, you always know just how to cheer me up."

He nodded before sitting down to eat with her. She placed plates down in front of him with a sense of pride in her step. Chopped steak was strewn over some potatoes with a thick brown sauce to dress the whole thing. August began to eat ravenously. He hadn't realized how hungry he had actually been until the first bite. After finishing his meal he got up to clean the plates.

Aeris looked at him and smiled gently before pushing him aside to take over. "You go handle the other things you need to August, I'll get this cleared up."

He nodded and stepped away but as he went to leave he felt a hand grab his tail. He looked back to see Aeris staring at him expectantly.

"Are you ready to give me an answer yet?" She asked, a smile creeping across her lips.

"Yeah." He nodded, smiling softly.

"Yeah you're ready or yeah is your answer, because if that's your answer that's not much of one in my opinion." She said, stepping closer.

August chuckled before pulling her towards him. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and looked down at her. "My answer to your feelings is yes."

She smiled wide before leaning up. The pair shared a kiss, sweet and gentle despite how much August swore in his mind he was messing it up. When they finally separated he was pushed outside to go handle the rest of his chores.

"I'll clean up here and then I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked at the door.

"Yeah, I'll see you then Aeris." He nodded, going back to his fields.

August was ecstatic. Yeah there had been some hiccups in the morning but the day was shaping up to be one to remember. He let out a sigh happily. The gentle autumn breeze caressing his skin. He could feel the cool air running through the fur of his tail and he felt… peace. Everything felt peaceful in this quaint little Frontier town. Sure there were still people who despised him, but there was much more than bigots here. Here there was new found romance. Here laid the whispers of adventure. August could feel it. Change was coming and whether that was good or bad was yet to be seen.