New Genna City

The "Hunt"

It's been a couple of months since the Orc first started stalking you. You were a nervous wreck, always on the lookout for his huge hulking frame, never knowing when he was going to appear again.

You'd had dead animals left on your doorstep every day for the last week, and you were certain this was a declaration of his intent to kill you. What else could it mean? Especially since the animal left behind kept getting bigger; today it had been a deer, and those were only about as big as a person. You wondered if you should just leave the area, come back maybe after he'd have forgotten about you, but you really didn't think it would be that simple. Orcs were hunters and trackers; he'd be able to find you no matter where you went.

You take a different path home each night in the hopes of avoiding him, simply because it was so weird the way he'd stare at you, unblinking. He never wore a shirt, either, and under different circumstances, you might have thought he was attractive (he was huge and ripped beyond compare), but-

"Hello, there, my little prey," you hear a voice growl out of the darkness of a nearby alley.

You jump away with a shriek of fear, clutching your arms around yourself. He steps from the shadows, his tusks shining dangerously in the blood-red light of sunset. "Nice night, don't you think?" His dark eyes watch you carefully, as though waiting for you to try and run. Not that you could; you were rooted to the spot in terror.

"S-sure," you stutter, and he grins, his hands opening and closing in a spastic manner. You could see his arm muscles twitching, and the muscles in his chest seemed stretched taut. You realize this is the first time he's actually spoken to you, and the thought fills you with apprehension. Was this going to be it? Was it today?

He tilts his head, cracking his neck. "What's the matter, little prey? You look more scared than that deer I left for you," he growls, taking a step toward you. You instinctively step backward, trying to keep your distance. He lowers his gaze, shadows overtaking his eyes, making them pitch-black pools. Your heart hammers in your chest as he takes another purpose-filled step, and your back hits the wall on the other side of the road. You feel your eyes widen, and he sniffs the air, that terrible grin spreading wide.

Shit.

Abruptly, he strides across the space separating you, his posture hunching slightly, hands open wide. Dark shadows flit across his body, accentuating the dangerous power of his bulging muscles. Small sparks flicker at the corner of your vision as you frantically dig in your pocket, trying to fish out the one thing that might save you. You wrap your fingers around it just as he reaches for you, and pull it out, finger on the button.

Before you can depress it, his huge hand come up and captures your wrist, the other encircling your throat. You want to scream, but you can't, and you squeeze your eyes shut as his form eclipses yours.

Silence fills your ears, and you're certain you're already dead. However, you suddenly hear deep, rumbling breaths from just above you, and risk opening your eyes. Standing over you, hunched so his forehead is pressed against the wall above, is the orc, massive and terrifying. However, as the sun slips finally below the horizon, you can see his face clearly for the first time. And your stomach drops into your shoes to see him apparently in pain.

"Mace?" he whispers, and you glance at the hand of yours he still held tightly, the small, red container bright in your grip. His other hand cupped your chin, his thumb resting gently on your cheek. "Why...?" His eyes widen, and he suddenly steps away from you with a choking sound. You stagger slightly, muscles weak from the tension you'd been holding. "Why?" He says again, his face twisted in the light of the streetlamps. He backs up further, his massive form hunched in on itself. "I thought I did everything right," he says quietly, and you stare at him in confusion. "I followed the courting ritual to the letter, even leaving you gifts so you'd know I could take care of you." Your hand slowly comes up to cover your mouth as realization sets in. He looks at you, eyes shimmering with silver tears, holding his hands out plaintively. "I thought you were playing along," he says, choking back a sob. "It's supposed to be fun, the hunt, for both of us," a tear slides down his cheek, and you feel your heart twist painfully in your chest. "I was wrong?" He tilts his head, more tears spilling down his cheeks. He drops his hands, and every ounce of menace you'd once thought he had evaporated.

"You..." you manage to choke, and he looks up, eyes sad. "...were courting me this whole time?" He stares blankly a moment before nodding, and you take a shaky breath. "I've been terrified for months because you were interested in me?" You stare at one another across the empty road, silent.

You suddenly break out in a fit of giggles, the small canister of mace falling to the ground with a quiet clatter. Relief washed over you with the understanding, and you look up to see him staring at you, confused. "I thought you were going to kill me!" you say through your giggles, hugging yourself as you laugh. "You're absolutely terrifying!" you add, laughing harder. The orc starts to chuckle, apparently realizing what things had looked like from your point of view.

"You really thought that?" he asks, standing a little straighter, and you nod, unable to speak. He chuckles more; the gruff sound music to your ears. "Oh my gods, I thought you were just playing along with the ritual! But you were actually scared," he says, slapping himself in the face. "I'm such an idiot!"

The two of you laugh (a little crazily, to be honest) for the next few minutes, the situation diffused by finally being on the same page. He looks at you when you finally calm down, shaking his head.

"I cannot believe that I was so thick as to not see that you were actually afraid of me," he says in disbelief. "It's no wonder people think orcs are so dumb if we do nothing to prove them wrong." He smiles, and you can see the handsome face he normally wore outside of the times you'd seen him during the 'hunt'. "I'm so sorry," he adds, shaking his head again.

"It's okay," you say, smiling back at him. A bit of courage flows through you, and you walk across the street, right up to him. "Now that I know what you were up to, I feel ridiculous." He looks down at you, clearly unsure of your intentions. You hold out a hand and introduce yourself. "It's good to finally meet you under less scary circumstances," you say, and he grunts as he takes your hand in his own, his massive hand covering yours completely.

"Gorruk," he says with a dazzling smile, and your heart leaps into your throat. "It's nice to meet you." His chest muscles twitch, and your cheeks burn as you glance away.

"So, uh," you stutter, trying to recover, "...courting ritual?" Gorruk grimaces and rubs the back of his neck, and you try not to stare at his muscles as they flex. God, was he always this attractive?

"Yeah, sorry about that. It was my first time, you know, being interested in somebody," he explains, and your heart flutters. "I guess I should have realized that a human wouldn't know about old orc customs, huh?" He shakes his head. "I'm really sorry about that, especially if you're not interested-"

"Who said that?" You splutter, and his heavy brow raises. "I mean... now that you're not hunting me, you seem like a really, you know, nice guy," you say, and he chuckles. "If you wanted, I mean, like, if you were still interested in me, we could go out and maybe get to know each other in a less creepy way..?"

Gorruk stares for a moment before laughing, kneeling down, and placing a gentle kiss on your cheek. You stare as he beams at you, offering his enormous hand. Blushing, you slip your hand into his, and he stands, smiling in a way that made your heart sing.

"Well, then, my little 'prey'," he teases, making you giggle. "Where shall we go first?"

You look him up and down before replying.

"Probably to get you a shirt," you say, deadpan, and he glances at himself before laughing.

"Good point," he says, and starts walking, holding your hand tightly in his own. "My place isn't too far from here. Make a quick stop and then away we go," he adds, and you giggle again. He was much more charming than you'd ever thought he would be, and you were warming up to him very quickly.

As the two of you walk down the street, he leans over.

"Was I really that terrifying?" he asks quietly, and you nod with a smile. He grins widely. "Awesome."