My Senses

In the dark locker, I could discern his facial expressions with remarkable clarity, thanks to my superior night vision, which allowed me to see clearly even in low-light conditions or complete darkness. After all, it's part of my werewolf nature. Sensing his desire to speak, likely due to being frightened, and with the sound of the coach's footsteps and voices outside, I promptly covered his mouth with my hand. Under the cover of my large hand, his eyes, widened in fear, finally met mine. Gesturing for silence with my other hand, I began to appreciate the beauty in the way he looked into my eyes, his gaze filled with apprehension yet captivating nonetheless.

As his gaze accustomed to the darkness of the locker, he caught sight of me staring directly at him. His inherent shyness was once again triggered, causing him to immediately avert his eyes downward. However, in the confined space, with both of us in close proximity, facing each other, his head naturally lowered, effortlessly making contact with my chest. Sensing his inclination to retract, I hastily grasped the back of his head, maintaining the position with his head against my chest. Though it was a simple touch, inexplicably, I felt my body beginning to heat up, my heartbeat gradually accelerating. Could he hear the rhythm of my pounding heart?

The more I thought about it, the more nervous I became, fearing that he might hear my own heartbeat. In a split second, I swiftly turned the slender him around, ensuring he faced away from me. Of course, to ensure his silence, I kept his mouth covered. Perhaps he also realized that I was trying to avoid detection from outside, as he obediently refrained from making any noise after I signalled for him to stay quiet. Thinking we were now safe; little did I know that a greater challenge awaited – his scent.

With the instinctive heightened sense of smell that comes with being a werewolf, I didn't need to be close to him to catch a whiff of his scent. It wasn't just any scent; it was his natural aroma, so enticing that without realizing it, I slowly moved the hand covering his mouth down to his shoulder, enveloping him in my embrace. My head, seemingly beyond my control, leaned closer to his neck, where I began to breathe in the scent of his skin.

Suddenly, something pressed against his sensitive neck. It wasn't just him; anyone would instinctively recoil from such a touch. He tried to retreat in the opposite direction, but my strong arms firmly restrained him. Beneath my towering figure, he seemed truly diminutive, and for a moment, I couldn't help but entertain a fleeting thought – what if he were beneath the towering form of my werewolf self after transformation? Would he be even smaller then?

At that moment, my supernaturally acute hearing picked up on the commotion outside. The coach had arrived, and had he not seen me, he might have suspected my slacking off. Thankfully, my phone was still outside, and he knew well that young people couldn't survive without their phones. Therefore, he assumed I must have gone to the restroom, and soon left the locker room.

Even though I knew it was safe now, I couldn't bring myself to let go of the person in my arms. I continued to inhale his scent deeply, my nose now trailing from his neck to his jawline. It wasn't until I felt him tremble ever so slightly that I released him. He was genuinely frightened. I took his hand and led him out of the storage locker, unable to resist the urge to stay close to him a moment longer.

"Alright, you don't need to search for the treasure anymore."

"Sorry?"

"I said you don't need to search for the treasure, consider it your compensation."

"I didn't repay you anything."

Was he indifferent to my attitude towards him? Or...

"Anyway, you helped me avoid the coach, so it's all good."

"Oh."

"By the way, what's your name? And what were you doing here?"

"My name is Neil. I was originally heading to the Literature Department professor's office building, but I got lost. I ended up here, couldn't find anyone to ask, and just saw you."

"The Literature Department professor's office building is two buildings down from here. Go out from this building, turn left, and when you see that gray building, that's it."

"Okay, thank you."

When he expressed his gratitude, he even bowed. This person, truly adorable, shy, timid, and polite, seemed to embody a blend of strengths and weaknesses. Watching him slip back into his shy demeanor as he left the locker room, I inexplicably felt a sense of regret, loneliness, and a faint longing. Could it be? Had I developed feelings for this person?

"Um, by the way, I forgot to ask for your name." He returned, poking his head around the doorframe.

In that moment, my sense of regret, loneliness, and faint longing vanished into thin air. It seemed I truly had fallen head over heels for him at first sight.

“I’m Ryan, Ryan Lucas.”