Vasco preferred to rise early. Though he still couldn’t pull much weight for the pack, he liked to at least keep out and about to not seem idle. Today was no difference, though the icy air almost made him wish for the indifference of youth. But alas, he pushed himself to do his morning rounds, to continue his rehabilitation, if nothing else. Then he could come back for a midday nap without feeling like a complete slacker.

Still, his walk was kept short, as the cold burned in his lungs as soon as he got a little winded. So he only went far enough to visit one of the smaller caches, digging up an old rabbit, long frozen, to take back as a snack. He expected to find the den deserted, cold or not, there was work to do for the pack. But he had forgotten those still too young to feel the weight of responsibility - for better or worse.

No doubt Eros was still recovering from the Elk incident, so Vasco would gladly cut him the slack. Paused at the den opening, he was ready to turn away and find another place to rest, not wanting to disturb the boy, but then realized the boy was awake, toying with something he couldn’t quite see in the dimness. Dropping the rabbit, Vasco called out softly: “Eros, what’ve you got there?”

.

Thoughts ”Speech”

It took the boy a moment to react, seemingly transfixed by whatever he’d found. But finally he glanced up at Vasco, his answer uncertain, making the adults brows lift in curiosity. As Eros turned back to this rock, Vasco narrowed his own eyes, attempting to see the mysterious item. He couldn’t make much out in the gloom, but soon enough, the boy brought over the stone for Vasco to see properly.

Lowering his snout for a closer look, the pale man hummed in admiration, carefully tilting the treasure so the blank side would catch the light. “That is quite a rock…” He mused, glancing back up at his grandson with a soft smile; “In fact, I think it’s what’s called a geode.” The word was left hanging in the air, as Vasco waited to see if the boy knew it already, or if he was at all interested in learning about it; Sometimes a shiny rock is enough…!

.

Thoughts ”Speech”

Eros seemed truly enraptured by his find, eyes barely straying from the glittering surface. It was a stunning thing, Vasco would not deny that, yet he found his own eyes more drawn to the boy’s mesmerized face, warmth blooming in his chest and curling his lips in a soft smile.

They stayed like that for a while, the boy quietly repeating the term to himself, seeming satisfied with just the name. So Vasco simply hummed lowly in affirmation, feeling no need to push any further on the matter.

He thought Eros had forgotten about him entirely until the sudden question, the surprise drawing a soft chuckle from his lips; “No son, I’m afraid not.” Though if he had been fortunate enough to come across such an unusual item, he would have loved to surprise one of the kids with a gift – mentally noting how excited Eros was by this particular trinket. “But it is a handsome gift,” he added, tilting his head slightly and furrowing his brow in thought; “They are rare things. Most wolves would probably have kept it for themselves.”

Word Count:

Thoughts ”Speech”

Vasco laughed quietly at the boy’s antics, mirroring his playful stance with black-tipped tail wagging high in the air, while his head came down to Eros’ level, watching him from behind the curious rock. The kid seemed quite pleased to know the worth of his gift, crooning his delight, prompting Vasco to bat at him jokingly – making sure his paw didn’t come close to actually making contact.

“I think you’ll find there’s a lot of us who do,” he teased softly, straightening up as Eros did the same. Absently, Vasco raised one paw to rub at the dirt on the pup’s face, but he froze half-way, surprised by the question. For a moment he stared, dumbfounded, before he finally got his tongue to work, stammering: “Am I…? I… Uh…” He struggled on exactly how to answer. Of course, Vasco knew that the childrens’ circumstances were a little unconventional – essentially seeing Clover as a second mom – but he'd thought they were clear enough on the father side; I suppose it can be confusing…

It wasn’t until he started answering, that he realized where Eros might have gotten tripped up; “No So… Lad,” he corrected himself, shaking his head slightly as he understood. “Viorel’s your only dad. I only meant it as an endearment, like saying ‘dear’ or ‘pet’.” He paused, looking down at the pup to see if he understood. Still smiling, he then added: “It means I love you, like you were my son.”

.

Thoughts ”Speech”

Vasco watched the boy closely as he was clearly listening, though whether he really understood was hard to tell. Perhaps it was too soon to get into these things, especially when Eros was already growing up in such an unconventional family. But he hadn’t wanted the misunderstanding to continue; I just need to remember how to talk to pups… It was strange, how quickly he’d forgotten, especially now when he was seeing Viorel, his siblings and cousins as adults.

But in the end, Eros did seem to get the point, his carefree return of the affection warming the grandfather’s heart all the same. Viorel’s kids were as varied in mind as in appearance, and Vasco adored them all. Now he smiled down at the kid by his side, faltering only a little at the misplaced moniker. In the end, he chose not to address it, it was close enough for the time being.

“Thank you Eros,” he said softly, raising his paw again and wetting it with a quick swipe of his tongue; “Now sit still.”

.

Thoughts ”Speech”