Private Finished I need you to know I'm not through the night

Jacota hadn't felt real, true joy for a long time. He felt joy from many things, like eating delicious food, or chasing birds, or napping in a safe place where he didn't have to worry about anyone killing him in his sleep. But all that was superficial. Jacota felt truly happy, that Ishvi was back again, and that joy wouldn't disappear in a while. He walked alongside Ishvi, his tail wagging, and Jacota couldn't help but walk a bit closer than usual. In a way he wanted to ensure Ishvi wouldn't disappear again. During the time Ishvi had been gone Jacota had been so worried, and had looked everywhere for the man. He had even slept in the place where they had sat together and looked at the sea.

Jacota kept glancing up at Ishvi, panting a bit, and his eyes were open and happy. A normal person would've probably just seen a person walking their dog.
Jacota, besides joy, had this strange fidgety, fluttery feeling inside him as well. It was centered in his stomach and chest. The feeling confused him, but Jacota thought it was probably another form of feeling hunger. But every time Ishvi looked at him, or Jacota accidentally brushed against him, the feeling stirred and Jacota's heartbeat quickened. That was weird.

Ishvi's eyes remained on Jacota for a moment longer, and Jacota looked back while tilting his head a bit. That also made Jacota's pulse and the feeling soar and Jacota would've frowned if he had been in his human form. But soon enough Ishvi turned his gaze away, and so did Jacota. He didn't mind silence, being with Ishvi was enough. But eventually Ishvi did speak.

"Yes it is. I like hearing the sounds of nature and your voice."
Ishvi's voice was one more thing Jacota had missed, and saying it out loud made him bit embarrassed and Jacota turned to look at the ground, his ears drooping a bit.

Jacota heard Ishvi's softly uttered words and looked at him in surprise. Had he heard right? Jacota had an impeccable hearing, he was pretty sure he had heard right. In which case Ishvi had said he liked Jacota being there. This was the first time anyone had ever said anything of the sort at him. Jacota's tail started wagging more and he let out one happy bark. Before the weird feeling started stirring up his insides again, making him very flustered and embarrassed all of a sudden. Jacota's ears pressed down in embarrassment and he also looked down at his paws like they were the most interesting thing suddenly. When he spoke his voice was also soft and quiet.
"I like being here..."

Jacota didn't see Ishvi's hand reaching down to pat him, but he felt it when it went right through him, as he was in his nightmare form. Jacota glanced up at Ishvi, feeling sorry that the sun was down and Jacota couldn't be touched. Jacota kind of wanted to be able to touch Ishvi. He looked at Ishvi's hand by his side and whined a bit silently. The silence around them wasn't broken by anything else but the sound of wind in the trees and their, well, Ishvi's footsteps. Jacota's footsteps were silent.
Jacota suddenly wanted to be in his human form, so his face could be on the same level, so that he could match his footsteps with Ishvi's. But Jacota didn't want to scare Ishvi away. He liked Jacota better as a dog.

Jacota looked up at Ishvi's smiling face, and felt sad he couldn't smile back. His ears drooped a bit, but shot back up when Ishvi spoke again.
"Not weird, it's natural for me. It's harder to kill me, and I can fly and become smaller."
Jacota looked down and his ears drooped a bit when he realized one bad thing about this form.
"I don't like that I can't be..touched by...you..."
The end of the sentence was very silent, and made Jacota really embarrassed to say. But if he lied Ishvi would know it and Jacota didn't want to lie to Ishvi.
"And I can be solid, if I turn human."
Jacota glanced at Ishvi, and gathered up the courage to ask his question.
"Would you mind...if I turned human? Just for a while."

Jacota looked up and Ishvi and whined slightly, when he could see the discomfort in him as he admitted to liking flying.
"I like you in your nightmare form, too."
Jacota didn't want Ishvi to not like his nightmare form, Ishvi was a great person and Jacota liked all sides of him, the nightmare form included. So he wanted Ishvi to like himself.
"Flying is fun. Helps you escape fast, and feel free."
Jacota said with a satisfied huff at the end. And to show he could fly Jacota form suddenly shrinked, until he wasn't the shape and size of a dog anymore. Instead he looked like a little bird made out of black haze, and he flew on Ishvi's shoulder for a moment.
"If I change like this I can fly."
Jacota flew back down on the ground, and changed his shape back into that of a dog again.

Jacota felt flustered as well, but he didn't leave Ishvi's side and when the man slowed down he slowed down as well, glancing up at the man when he spoke.
"It's because you're you."
Jacota said, bit shyly, and looked at the ground afterwards in embarrassment, oh, what interesting grass.

Ishvi's words warmed Jacota inside, and the fluttering in his guts rose to a whole new level. Jacota's tail wagged, and without further ado he shifted into his human form. But his tail still kept wagging. Jacota's face was warm and flushed, and he looked at Ishvi bit nervously, his ears twitching. Unsurely Jacota reached out his hand, and held it palm up in front of Ishvi. The heat on his cheeks intensified.
"Would you...want to...?"
Jacota couldn't really finish his sentence, he just hoped Ishvi understood he wanted to touch hands, even if just for a short while. It was something Jacota had, for some reason, wanted to do for a while.

Jacota didn't miss the shadow going across Ishvi's face, and it concerned him greatly. But that concern was soon accompanied by happiness, when Ishvi said he was glad Jacota was there. Jacota's tail wagged, and he tilted his head slightly.
"I want to be here."

As Ishvi pressed his hand against Jacota's he would feel it was quite hot, callused and very clearly a hand of someone, that had seen and done many things, nearly none pleasant. But at the moment it was just the hand of a young man, that felt butterflies in his stomach for being able to touch the hand of someone he held affection towards. Jacota's tail kept wagging, and when Ishvi looked at his face and commented on his body temperature Jacota's cheeks felt almost as hot as his hand.
"Y-you're...warm as well."
Jacota mumbled back. Jacota looked at their hands, still touching, and carefully used his pointy-nailed thumb to lightly brush Ishvi's hand. He did it slowlh and carefully, not wanting to scare Ishvi, or himself, away.