Austin

I am hiking through the woods, the straps of my backpack digging into my shoulders uncomfortably.

There is no real destination for this trip, I just decided to take a break from everything and as Mr. Darby closed the library earlier than usual for whatever personal reason, it's not like I have anything better to do.

Suddenly, there are branches snapping and some low growls coming from my right side.

I still, hoping for whoever or whatever is there to just keep on going without noticing me. I don't really plan on becoming food for someone. At least not today.

It sounds like a big animal is walking there.

Let's just hope it's a moose, yeah?

I turn my head a bit to the side because looking from the very corner of my eye is starting to give me a headache.

Yeah, okay it's not a moose is what I can tell you.

It's a bear.

A full grown goddamn bear.

And it is staring straight at me.

Well, fuck.

The bear is huge. I don't know if they are normally supposed to be this big but this one in front of me is massive. The shoulders of it are at my eye level. And I'm not a particularly small guy, no. My height of 5'9 allows me to feel average in crowds. Not really towering over anybody but I have certainly never felt so small as I do standing before this bear.

I slowly back myself against a tree while watching the bear.

"Okay...so which bear type doesn't eat dead people?" I whisper to myself.

I have never been good at remembering the important things. Like which bears don't eat dead animals and which prefer them. I'm not even sure if it would help me because I'm not sure whether I would be capable of making a difference between different bear types. I mean of course I can identify a polar bear and a panda but the others? Not a clue.

The bear chuffs and takes a few steps closer.

I gulp quite audibly.

Would climbing a tree help? Probably not.

I'm not sure if I could outrun that beast either. Well I probably am faster but then again the bear most probably has better endurance and would still catch up to me in the end.

Right now, I can't even remember which direction I came from so if I just take a mad dash somewhere I could very well end up in the middle of nowhere. Not that I haven't reached that point already.

I can't quite understand what the bear is doing.

It is approaching me slowly, making some weird grunting noises and sniffing the air.

I am frozen in my place and now the bear is a foot away from me. Just staring me down.

It lowers its head and I can see those sharp teeth in front of my face before the head is in front of my stomach.

The bear sniffs it and the only thought running through my head is 'it's going to eat my intestines'. And that means I'm probably going to be alive during the start.

I pull my stomach in, trying to... get away from the bear? I don't know, just do something.

The bear pushes its head closer again and I raise myself onto my tiptoes, trying to put as much distance between the bear's teeth and my stomach as the tree behind will let me..

Obviously it doesn't hinder the animal much and it comes closer until its snout is pressed against my stomach.

I can see it opening its jaws and nearly faint.

"This is it, I'm going to get eaten alive."

I press my eyes closed, waiting for the first attack when suddenly I feel a tug on my jacket.

I look down and realise with surprise that the bear is holding my jacket between its teeth and is pulling it.

I hold onto the tree with my hands and try to stay put but the bear isn't relenting.

After a few stronger tugs I have to admit defeat and let go of the tree.

Unfortunately, I let go just as the beast pulls and I practically fly onto its head.

The bear lowers its head so I slide off and onto the ground before its feet.

"Ah, shit."

The beast takes a few steps forward so that its body covers mine which in response makes me lay flat on my back.

It lowers its whole body until it is pressing into mine but it must be holding up some of its weight for I'm sure it would crush me otherwise.

Then, it puts its head in the crook of my neck and rubs its big muzzle into the side of my head and neck.

I can feel the rest of its body doing the same, it's like it is scenting me or something. You know, the 'marking someone' with their scent kind of thing.

I am utterly confused at this point.

Isn't it supposed to, like, eat me or something?

I mean, I'm glad I'm still alive but I don't think this kind of behaviour is normal for a wild animal. Or is it?

I've never been the nature kid, always preferring to stay inside and read or something like that. Which makes me think on why I thought going hiking was a good way of relaxing?

Stars be damned, I'm dumb sometimes.

After a few minutes the bear stops and with what seems to be a satisfied huff, rolls off of me onto its side.

I'm not sure if it is safe to move because the beast is staring at me with its black eyes.

It has been advised to stay calm when encountering wild animals, right?

With that thought I start to slowly roll myself onto my side away from the bear. It isn't probably wise to turn my back towards it but I have to get up. Rolling a bit further away before standing up just seems to be the wisest thing to do.

Unfortunately with my back to it I don't see the paw it raises before it comes down on my side.

I freeze, staring at the claws that are sliding across my stomach.

The bear is surprisingly gentle and doesn't tear into my clothes. But it does manage to get its paw around me and pulls me backwards before I even realize it.

Soon, I find myself pressed against the beast's stomach as its other front paw comes around me, too.

I am stuck.

And then, when I think that it can't possibly get any worse, the bear rolls itself onto its back, taking me along with it.

Now here I am, laying on its stomach with all four of its limbs wrapped around me while it nuzzles the hair on top of my head.

The bear's fur tickles my nose and the ear that was resting on the beast.

Oh my stars.

Please don't tell me it was the bear's tongue that just went through my hair.

I'm pretty sure it was.

The bear is licking my hair as if grooming me or something.

I am so hitting the shower when I get out of this forest. Or rather if I get out. But let's not think about that right now.

Right now, I have to get out of this mothering bear's grasp.

What if it's a mother bear that lost her cubs? And is now trying to replace them with me? Although I'm quite sure I'm a bit bigger than your normal bear cub.

So what the hell is going on?

I am pretty sure that I have never heard of a bear cuddling hikers in the news, more like a bear attacking hikers.

I am snapped out of my thoughts when I feel the bear's tongue on my cheek.

"Okay that's quite enough."

I start wriggling around, trying to maybe somehow wiggle myself out of its paws. The bear is just watching me, it's probably confused. Well, news flash, I am too.

Somehow, I end up on the ground and quickly get back onto my feet, patting my pants to get rid of the dirt.

The bear is still watching me and when I take a few slow steps back it rolls itself onto its stomach. The bear stands up and shakes its fur out before turning to me.

I start walking backwards slowly, occasionally looking over my shoulder so that I don't walk into a tree.

When I'm about ten feet away, the bear starts following me.

I decide that it would be easier for me to face the direction I am walking in and turn around.

Starting to walk a bit faster, I glance over my shoulder to see that the bear is still walking after me. I add a little more speed to my steps and try to put distance between me and the bear.

It probably catches on to what I am doing and starts walking a bit faster too.

"Oh shit."

I see something glittering in the distance so I take off in a full blown run. Maybe there are other people that can help me get rid of the bear.

I can hear the bear growl as I run but I don't dare turn to look at what it is doing in fear of running into a tree.

Nearly breathless I reach a resting place for hikers that has a fireplace, some benches and an outhouse. The outhouse has a wind chime made of metal which is most likely what I saw in the woods. Unfortunately, the small clearing is empty.

I hear the heavy thumps of paws hitting the ground and realize that the bear is most likely still chasing after me.

Without turning to look, I run into the outhouse and lock the door behind me.

I sit down on the mostly clean looking wooden floor and lean back onto the wall, listening.

I can hear the bear sniffing around the fireplace and almost sense when it turns its head towards my hiding place.

The door is about an inch above the floor so I can see the bear's black nose sniffing at the opening. I stop breathing when a few of its claws enter through the narrow space.

I'm not quite sure on how strong this small building is and therefore I have no idea if it will hold against the bear's strength if it decides to attack the wooden construction or not.

The door rattles but stays in place and I hear the bear huff.

I take my backpack and start looking for something that could help me in fending off the furry beast outside.

Rope? Probably not unless I manage to tangle the bear's legs in it so it can't follow me. But then I would be afraid that the bear won't be able to free itself and will starve to death which will ultimately force me to turn around and untie the bear myself.

A pencil case full of pencils? Well I could try throwing the pencils like darts but it will most likely only annoy the creature which won't be any help.

My sketchbook? There are some nice drawings that I don't particularly want to part with, not to mention all the pages that have something scribbled on them - usually just mindless doodles which would be embarrassing if other people were to see them - have my name on them, too. A habit I took up in arts class, I suppose.

Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban? I mean, I could hit the bear with it but it is my favourite book, much too precious to risk damaging it. Wait, why is it even with me in the first place? Oh, right, I was hoping to find a nice place to relax and read it for the millionth time.

My phone! It is a gift sent from heaven- I have no signal. Stars damn it.

The bear chuffs and grunts, clawing at the door with those black claws. I just sit and pray some unfortunate animal walks by and distracts the beast behind the wooden planks. Some ten minutes later, the bear seems to give up and I can hear the way it crashes through the undergrowth as if... running from something? Or someone? But who the hell can make a bear run away from them and not towards them?

Some odd five minutes go by before I hear someone shout. I sit in the cubicle in disbelief, incapable of using my vocal cords to make even the slightest sound. The low timber rumbles through the clearing again and I can finally force myself to move, slowly stretching my already stiff muscles and joints.

"Is anyone here?" I hear footsteps reaching the clearing, lighter than the bear's but not by much. "The grizzly's gone, if that's what you're worried about. You can come out."

Something about the rough voice draws me in. It's so comforting, as if all my worries have just washed away. The barely noticeable husk in the voice is kind of my undoing. I reach up with my hand to unlock the door that stood as a barrier between me and death, swinging the door open to have a look at my saviour. On second thought, maybe I should've kept the door close to myself, in case the mystery rescuer turns out to be an axe murderer or something of the sort.

I take a look at him and my breath is taken from me. The man standing by the fireplace, some ten feet from me is simply gorgeous, absolutely breathtaking. The first thing one notices about this man is the height and the build of his body. He is easily twice my size in muscle mass and more than a few inches taller than me. The rough, worn jeans covering his legs are a bit strained around his thighs, perfectly accentuating the power in those legs of his. For whatever reason, he's only wearing a muscle tee to cover his torso, which leaves his muscled arms on full display to be admired by yours truly. The veins in his arms that rise to the surface all the more when he clenches his hand into a fist are a definite weakness of mine. What is odd is that he doesn't seem to have goosebumps, even though it's not exactly warm in the shade of the trees. Perhaps he is just an extremely warm-blooded male and his manliness just won't let a weakness like that be shown. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that were to be the case.

A bit higher up, I'm greeted with a lopsided grin accompanied by a slight dimple on his right cheek that adds some boyish charm and mischief into his macho aura. With those pearly whites of his, he could be in a toothpaste commercial. And those pink lips, surrounded by some slight scruff look so inviting, as if beckoning me to give in and have a taste. Which I'd most definitely love, no doubt.

His nose is a tiny bit crooked, as if he ran face first into a tree and broke it or, more likely, someone decided they wanted their fist planted in his face and just got lucky. It makes him look a bit more human, as the rest of him is just plain godly, unearthly.

And then, I reach his eyes, the warm chocolate swirls that remind me of warm nights with hot chocolate, sparkling in the rays of the sun that manage to breach the canopy of leaves that covers us. They're so big that one could just drown if not careful, most probably the one surrendering to the pull of them wouldn't even notice they have.

A slight breeze goes by and a curly lock of dark brown falls over his brow, shifting my attention to the messy mop on top of his head. Curls sticking up in every direction, messy yet endearing. The locks look soft, begging me to run my hands through them, to tangle my fingers in and never let go. My fingers start tingling at the mere thought, I can't imagine the feeling of actually touching those tresses.

"... alright?" I hear the end of his sentence, snapping me out of my daze. I blush as I suddenly realise I've been staring at this hunk for heaven knows how long while he was trying to just be a decent human being and make sure I'm alright. Just for reassurance, I try to discreetly swipe my hand over my jaw to make sure I wasn't drooling all over myself. The movement doesn't go unnoticed by him, unfortunately, if I am to decide by the slight quirk of his lips.

"Are you alright?" He repeats his question as it became apparent I hadn't been listening to him. To my utter dismay, a high pitched sound at the back of my throat is all I can manage as a reply to him and it only serves to make my cheeks burn with more intensity.

The stranger smiles that dazzling, lopsided smile of his again as he takes steps closer to help me up. The smile turns my limbs to mush so I really struggle with managing myself and actually getting my feet under me. He offers me a hand and after some slight hesitation, I take it, seeing as I won't be getting off the floor on my own power. He pulls me up gently and effortlessly, as if I weighed no more than a feather. His hand is warm in mine and rough, a telltale sign of him being no stranger to hard work. My hand is pale and small compared to his, which is odd, because I have never thought of myself as small, I've always been average. Now, I feel as if I stopped growing in the sixth grade (which I didn't, just to make things clear).

"Do you know the way to the town?" His voice makes me look up from our hands where his is still grasping mine and towards his face. I take a look around the small clearing and the forest around it before shaking my head slightly, embarrassed that I'd gotten lost so easily. Well, the bear is to be held responsible too, but I was lost already when I met the beast.

"It's alright, I can guide you there. You live in Bearuns, right?" At my slight nod, he turns us in some direction and starts walking, tugging me along by the hand he still has a hold on. I'm surprised he walks around so confidently as if he knows the forest like the back of his hand and is absolutely sure there are no animals that would dare cross him. I mean, the bear did seem to be running from something... Maybe he is, like, a ranger or something. That would explain the confidence in knowing his whereabouts but aren't rangers usually wearing some sort of uniform? And again, what would explain the bear running away? I don't think it was just his manly aura that chased that thing off.

"I'm Bruin, by the way." He glances over his shoulder at me as he says that and, noticing that I'm struggling to keep up with his ridiculously long strides, slows down a bit, mumbling an embarrassed "sorry".

Bruin? What an odd name, I wonder what it means. "Austin." Is what I manage to squeak out and mentally kick myself. Seriously? There is a hot guy right there, and that is all you can squeeze out?

There is some twenty minutes of silent walking as we trek companionably through the forest, me trying to come up with something to say but ending up with nothing. Then, I see houses through a break in the trees which tells me that we're almost there. I breathe a mental sigh of relief, as this day of hiking was starting to take its toll on me.

By some miracle, we break the treeline right behind my house. It's a tiny little thing but it's all I really need and I absolutely love the small wooden cottage. Decorated with LED string lights that light up in the dark and some small bushes in front of the house, it looks really cozy and warm. It is just the way I like it.

I turn towards Bruin and with a start realise that his hand has been holding mine the whole way. Awkwardly, I pull my hand from his and immediately miss the warmth that had surrounded it. I take in a breath and puff my cheeks out, quickly deflating them as I realise that he's looking at me with those brown orbs of his.

"Well, this is me." I wring my hands together, sort of wishing he would stay for longer, yet at the same time acknowledging how ridiculous the idea is, considering we don't even know each other. "Thank you, for helping me back..."

He nods slowly, eyes raking over my face that I'm sure is red, whether from the exercise or embarrassment remains a mystery but I have no doubt it is still an abnormal shade. "It was a pleasure. Take care, Austin..." My name is accompanied with a slight growly undertone in his voice that makes me break out in goosebumps. Bruin gives me one last grin before turning and entering the forest where we had come from only some moments ago.

I wonder if he lives somewhere in there...