You feel numb. You struggle to keep your eyes open as gusts of icy wind batter your freezing body, peppering more and more of the once warm cloth with specks of snow. You bring the ax down with a satisfying crack, splitting the log in two and leaving just one final piece of wood to break. You suppose that you could force yourself to stay outside in this blizzard for longer and fetch more feed for the hungry fire, as you have found yourself oddly used to the feeling of bone biting cold. However, the feeling of warmth is an addictive sensation, making even the slightest chill give you the desire to return to its comforting embrace like a drunkard to their mug. Thus, with the promise of abandoning your wet clothes and feeling the warmth of a fire, you accelerate your efforts to finish off the last of the pile. With one last splintery chunk of metal against wood, you split the final log and begin to collect your efforts for a hasty retreat. Your muscles strain to hold your wooden bounty, but you ignore your arms' pleas and begin to stomp and crunch through the near knee-high snow towards the sturdy door. You wiggle the door handle, throw the door open and just as quickly slam it behind you with a sigh of relief. After laying the wood down beside the fireplace to dry, you begin to strip off your clothes for the same reason. As you reach the final wet undergarment to add to the growing pile of clothes, you hear a low, dry whistle, reminding you of your lover's continued presence on the fur-laden upholstery beside you. "How brazen," she grins, her furry face peeking out of the bundle of covers hiding the entirety of her body. "Performing a show for your lady so soon as you return home, my love?" You return her smile with your own and turn to face her, hooking your thumbs into the cold, soaked waist of your drawers to tease her. "That would depend. Would the fair lady have a payment for the show? Or should this be another 'exchange' as so many before?" A giggle escapes her lips, making your heart flutter at the heavenly sound. She slowly lifts the blankets, revealing herself to be fully naked beneath her nest of warmth as well as the fruits of her research into the "other side of the pond." While typically one's eyes would be drawn to her once perky breasts, their small size now noticeably larger with her nipples more pronounced against her light gray coat, yours were drawn downwards to her swollen belly. A small, firm furry orb now decorates her midsection, its size hiding her folds from your view. "Perhaps some rest and respite for your weary body will do?" she asks, her one free hand gently rubbing and shifting at the fur around her popped belly button. "Perhaps," you tease, lowering the waist of your drawers ever so slightly. "Do you promise your usual rate?" "Get over here lest I take my offer back," she laughs. You make an effort to slowly and sensually remove your damp undergarments. You face away from her, both to further tease her as you reveal your rear, and to warm your freezing and long since shrunk equipment by the fire. You try to slowly shake your hips to distract her and buy yourself more time to "wake up your snake." After successfully bringing some life back to your member, you reveal yourself to your wife. You can see her teeth bite into her lower lip as her eyes are cast downward, her tail twitching to and fro in anticipation. Without wasting any more time, you lower the wet cloth to your feet and kick it to the pile of clothes. You approach your wife and begin to position yourself in with her. However, as your feet make contact with hers, she squeaks and draws her feet back. "Gods be damned, you're cold!" she exclaims. You snort and continue lowering yourself down against her. "Not a word when I was a rotten corpse, but be it I'm slightly cold...." you tease as you finally lay down face to snout with her. "Besides, can't take your offer back now I'm afraid." She hums disapprovingly as she lowers the blankets back down. The softness of her fur against your skin is as luxurious as always, especially when coupled with the softness of her breasts pressing against your chest. While you would be roused by feeling her naked body, all lewd thoughts were dwarfed by the overwhelming sense of pride building in your chest as your hand meets hers at her pregnant belly. As the hot days of Summer transitioned to the chilly days of Fall, you and Civana played catchup quite extensively. All the while, your ever studious wife buried her nose in tome after tome looking to bridge the species gap and "bear fruit." As soon as she felt a fluttering within her core and the beginning signs of motherhood had started to expel itself from her mouth, she was peppering you in excited, happy kisses. Her glee was contagious as you kissed her back, even if you wished her lips didn't taste of last night's dinner. Through Fall to the blisteringly cold blizzards of Winter, your and her efforts of love slowly grew to its current size. Although, it is still too early for your child, or potentially children, to announce their presence with kicks. Still, your wife eagerly awaits for their arrival. Often times you would leave for the town some distance away from your new home to prepare and fetch supplies. Meanwhile, Civana took to tailoring, and when she is alone, you can hear her softly humming or singing a song in a tongue you do not recognize. When you had first heard, you entered the room and she squeaked in surprise, cutting her song short and remaining in an embarrassed silence to your questions. Often times you would remain outside in the unforgiving cold, picking up bits and pieces of the melody she would sing past the howling winds. "Why don't you sing to our brood?" you smile, keeping up your teasing to ire an adorable blush out of her. You hear her take a deep breath in and release it through her nose. However, rather than silence, she began to quietly chant. Words and phrases unknown to you left her lips, her quiet speaking soon becoming more clear as she found confidence in herself. Her voice graces your ears with such a gentle tone that you begin to feel the weight on your shoulders and mind begin to melt away like the snow on your frozen clothes. You relax more into your small lover and interlock your fingers with hers, her fast but soon slowing heartbeat thrumming like a drum. With the backdrop of the wind outside and the crackle of the fire, her singing threatens to sap you of all energy and force you into slumber in an instant. You can feel her naked tail curl and wrap itself around your waist, her singing momentarily paused with a breath as she shifts herself closer to you. Finally, after several minutes of her mix of mystical chanting and song it comes to a soothing end, thankfully right as you begin to struggle to keep your eyes open. A relieved sigh leaves her as she rests her head under your chin, her thin ears tickling your cheeks as she positions herself. Before you fall asleep, you lean your mouth to her ear and whisper, "I love you." And in the same soothing tone, she responds, "I love you too."