Danielle awoke, blinking her eyes as she realized it was still dark out. It had been a week since their first hunt and things were already settling in to a routine. She felt Brandon's warmth against her body as they were tightly snuggled together in their new home.
Home! Danielle would have laughed at the thought if she hadn't lived through what she had recently. In truth it was little more than an underground burrow with a narrow tunnel leading in. It kept them out of the cold night air as well as the elements, but it was still really just a hole in the ground. She would have thought it strange that it had seemed so natural to dig a burrow to live in and that the digging had gone so quickly, but she had been through enough lately that it never even occurred to her.
The two foxes had finally gotten all the essentials for survival safely under control. There was a natural spring nearby which fed a small freshwater stream. Although not much to look at, their burrow provided more than adequate shelter and was surprisingly cosy. They had gotten the hang of hunting, and if that ever got tough they had discovered a grove half a mile away with acres upon acres of fruit trees. With survival being taken care of, the past couple days Danielle had had more and more time to think.
Now that they weren't worried about starving to death, this new life was beginning to feel less like punishment and more like a vacation, albeit one she never in her wildest dreams would have imagined. It really was very close to a paradise. They had to take care of each other's survival needs, but aside from that they had the time to do anything they wanted. Danielle chuckled quietly to herself as she realized she hadn't even thought of television since she'd arrived, and didn't miss it one bit.
Brandon shifted slightly in his sleep, cuddling against her. Danielle sighed happily. She couldn't believe the restraint Brandon had shown, even that first day when hormones had her out of her mind with lust. If the roles had been reversed, she knew she would never have been able to resist the urges. If they had given in that first day when they were still getting over the shock of everything, it very likely would have left a permanent scar on their relationship. Now, however...
Danielle gently stroked Brandon's ear, chuckling as it twitched slightly. He slowly opened his eyes and playfully licked her on the nose. His aim was a little off in the pitch black and he ended up licking her chin - even though their night vision had improved, it still wasn't perfect.
"Good morning, Sunshine," Brandon said.
Danielle giggled. "Hey you!" she replied. "I've been doing a lot of thinking-"
"-Oh no, then we're doomed!" Brandon interrupted with a grin.
Danielle chuckled. "I'm being serious here."
Brandon cuddled with Danielle and looked her in the eye, intently listening to what she had to say.
"I've been thinking about us, and here," Danielle continued while quietly returning Brandon's gaze. "I...Well, I think we're going to be here to stay. And, well, I'm sort of glad. I mean, everything feels, I don't know..."
"Right?" Brandon asked.
"Yes!" she replied. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"Perfectly," Brandon replied. "I've been thinking exactly the same thing lately, and was hoping it felt the same to you. I...I think if I had the choice, I'd want to stay on this world, and a fox, and alone with you."
Danielle hugged Brandon tightly. He returned the hug and tenderly kissed her, and she passionately returned the kiss.
"Do you remember the promise you made when we first arrived?" Danielle asked.
"Of course."
"Well, I, uh, I just have to thank you. If we had done anything before we were ready, it really could have been a disaster," Danielle said with a blush so deep that if it were light out it probably would have shown through her fur.
"I love you, Danielle. I would never do something that would hurt you, and I would never do something to hurt our relationship."
"I know," she replied, "And I can't even put in to words how good that makes me feel. What I'm trying to say is...well...we're here to stay. And we're not in shock any more, we're making decisions without being panicked. I think...I think the time for that promise is over. The next time one thing leads to another, I think we should decide what's right based on the situation."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Brandon asked, "That's a big thing. And what if, you know, something comes of it? That's a lifelong commitment, are you really prepared for this to be your life?"
"Yes!" Danielle answered. "I mean, I'm not saying we should do it like animals right now. I'm just saying that if a time comes when we both feel like it's right, we should go ahead and do it. That promise gave us both time to adjust and think and I'm eternally grateful for that, but we don't need it any more."
Brandon didn't say anything in reply, he merely hugged her tightly and nuzzled her cheek. Both gently drifted back to sleep, warmly cuddled together in their little hole in the ground. The two foxes now both understood that this was truly going to be their new life, and neither one would have had it any other way.