"Erica?"
"Samuel?"
They both stared at each other, uncertain who to go first. Samuel tried to let her go first, while it looked like Erica wanted him to talk first. The silence was only a few seconds, but it felt like an entire minute had gone by between the two of them.
Samuel thought a lady should always be allowed to say her piece first... but.. damn it, this was something he had to say. before she got the wrong idea. "Erica... I... got to be honest with you, about something."
Erica swallowed. This was probably it. He was going to tell her exactly what she was. A freak... or worse. In this day and age, with bigotry and intolerance so close to the surface, what was he going to say?
"I don't want to make this any more uncomfortable for you... and... however you feel... well..." Samuel started.
The skunk girl continued to look apprehensively. Why was he beating around the bush?
The human deputy nodded. "I... like you," He admitted.
Erica blinked. "W-what?"
Samuel stood up, giving the skunk-girl an affectionate smile. "Yeah... well... it might be a little crazy. But my mentor always said, we should go for the things we love..."
"Love?" Erica gasped.
Now it was Samuel's turn to blush. He didn't mean to use that word. It was just something his mentor always said. "I- well- yeah. Damn... didn't mean it to come out just like that." He said taking off his hat to dust it off. "I mean I know I don't know you that well. I... think you're a good lass," he said. "That is if you want to be..."
Erica was stunned. Completely and utterly stunned. She had just told him the truth of what she was! That this body wasn't her own. But the way he said that... it seemed so accepting. If she wanted to be she could be a girl? She was willing to interfere with history itself to try and undo this situation, and yet history has brought to her someone that actually liked her.
Samuel approached Erica. Her strange exotic form accepted in his eyes. There was no other lady like her... there can never be. He wanted to know everything about her. How in the world could he be so lucky, to know what the world will be like in a hundred years from now? Just that alone made him feel honoured to be with her.
Erica looked flushed and bit her lip slightly, her long Skunk tail twitching. This was completely unexpected. She didn't know what to say.
"If... you do choose to be a girl... I'd be honoured, if you could be mine," He said as charmingly as he possibly could. "But... yeah. It's up to you. I just wanted you to know... I'm okay with it."
Erica looked at him again. Just... like that? She was... ugly though. She had heard some transformed people became beautiful creatures. Felines in particular, were considered the best... but she was just a.. a.. skunk-girl. She hated her body. Why would anyone think she was pretty and not an ugly, loathsome animal?
Then she realised to her dawning horror, she was comparing herself to other girls. Did she really want to be like them? But then looking at Samuels accepting eyes, stirred something very... pleasant in her. An incessant tingling all the way to the tip of her toes... "I'll... think about it."
"Much obliged Angel," Samuel winked glad that Erica wasn't objecting outright. Still he felt he had treadled enough and didn't want to make her uncomfortable about it.
Erica decided she needed a little time to herself. "I'll... be right back," she said. "I'll go see how Nikki is getting on looking for food." She was feeling a bit.. off now. A little walk in the shade might help her cool down some.
Samuel nodded. He was... tempted to kiss her at one point, but he kept himself back. He had really already pushed her enough. Maybe next time, he could make a better move but at least for now, Erica wasn't running away from the idea.
