Wild Rye Fields you won’t let me down

Even back in the Edge, Cancer had never imagined his life becoming so... domestic. Sure, there were plenty of quirks remaining, like his hatred of the flat fields and his generally grumpy temperament, but there were also some significant changes. Like actually sharing a den with someone. Not the pack, just them. And when the nights got really cold he even let her... touch him. Sometimes he instigated it, tucking just a bit closer to her side to ensure she kept warm.

In fact, everything he did was in some part because of Ris. The effort he put into the pack (even when the sting of @Askan's sudden dismissal persisted had made him not want to try because he knew it would just happen again), the times he attempted to enter the tall grass and venture away from the treeline (never successful, yet anyways), the pleasantries he begrudgingly exchanged with pack mates (rare as that was); it was because in the end, it would bode well for Risaela. She had vouched for him, wanted so badly to come here after the Edge didn't pan out, so clearly loved being here with Jessie; it was evident in everything she did, and he'd be damned if he was the one to ruin it for her.

He would be though, wouldn't he? The doubts never fully went away, but sometimes, they got really bad. Made him turn away from even her company, finding solace outside of the pack's territory somewhere dark and quiet. Made the hallucinations act up and his heart race. It was a roller coaster ride that he was, unfortunately, quite accustomed to. It was life, and he did his best regardless. Ris saw that. Maybe that was what drew him to her so strongly; she was so much like her.

His own name entered his ears, called out by the very girl he'd been reflecting upon as he walked the wet woods. The snow could not yet decide if it wished to stick around or not, but he didn't mind the inbetween. Jogging through mud, he went after the sound of her voice, sending out a low boof to tell her he was coming.

"Yo," was the short greeting she would get once they found each other, patient curiosity on his face. What did she have on her mind this time?

It was relatively easy to find him, actually - shadow that he was - and her chest warmed immediately upon approaching the boy. But she didn't touch him, much as she wanted to kiss all over his muzzle, because she knew he wouldn't appreciate it. The only times she ever approached him physically were few and far between - she'd learned much better over the year they'd known each other. Or, almost a year, anyway. It was kind of crazy to think she had known Can more than half her life now, and... well, if she had something to say about it, she would know him for the rest of it.

And Risaela was stubborn.

Her tail started wagging up a storm behind her and she smiled up at him, trying to keep her paws from patting excitedly on the ground. This was a good idea, and she couldn't wait to share it with him.

"I have an... an idea," she began, ears angling forward as the smile grew on her maw. "We don't have last names, right? Do you w-wanna share a last name with m-me?" the girl asked, stuttering just a bit at the end due to slight nervousness and excitement that she couldn't quite tamper down. She'd been thinking about this for weeks, and she had been wondering when would be a good time to bring it up.

Because most of what she did involved Can in some way, too. Her thought process down to the way she interacted with the other wolves, and the fact that she shared a den with just him. And she liked it that way - didn't want him to feel too uncomfortable or crowded. Besides...

She wanted him to herself, too.

"What do you th-ink?" she asked, tipping her head to the side and tail stilling. She couldn't help but be nervous - this was a lot to ask, wasn't it? And wasn't it kind of awkward too? Maybe she was just making it that way in her head, but... she couldn't help it.