Pasos al Cielo If we go down, we go down together

“Thanks.”

Was he relieved that Askan was willing to help clean an injury he couldn’t reach, or that the beta wasn’t going to look too deeply into the way the older wolf had phrased his request?  The male melted further into the earth, eyes closed as the other Rye wolf started to nose his ruff out of the way, cleaning the laceration as gently as he could.  It probably wasn’t ginger by anyone else’s standards, but Reyes reckoned it was tolerable.  The ragged edges of the wounds stung, the entire rip much larger than the one Askan himself had caused a few weeks earlier.  Shit, Icicle really was a tool, wasn’t he?  Even Reyes knew better than that.

Still, he said nothing, his breathing slowly starting to even out as the guardian got to work, doing his best to ease the damage caused.  (Next time, Reyes wouldn’t assume the fucker to be a ‘good pack wolf’ or some goddamn lotus-eater along for the ride.  Fuck that noise.  That guy knew what he was doing.  He was just playing a game with the rest of them.)  

“Mhm.  Maybe in a few days,” he agreed.  Hopefully, if he just stayed put for the rest of the night, the wound would heal up enough that any little movement wouldn’t split it back open and send blood cascading down his shoulders again.  The jawline across his shoulders was met with a wince, uncomfortable huff, and Reyes gave a little squirm.  Damn Icicle.  Ruining his favorite position. “Think we could…uh…reorganize this a little?” he asked gruffly, pointedly staring at the wall.  “If you wanted to stay, anyways.”

(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2017, 06:19 PM by Reyes.)

Whilst he wasn't looking for gratitude, Askan appreciated it nonetheless. In fact, it felt nice to be needed, to have his efforts acknowledged. So much so that he meant it when he offered to look over it again for him, if and when need be. A wound like that should get better in time, but Askan was no medic so he couldn't be sure. If it didn't they'd deal with that complication if it arrived. Which was almost a little bit funny, as he noted the use of they, as in both of them. Plural. As though it was Askan's problem as well. Surely it was nothing more than a slip up, the day had been long and emotionally draining. For both of them. A minor slip up could be excused, right? Or at the very least it's what the Selwyn told himself.

Askan was content to just lay there and revel in the warmth Reyes provided, but it seemed as though the same couldn't be said for him. It was clear that something was amiss, as Reyes was fidgeting some and soon made his feelings known in his usual gruff manner. Whilst he didn't really want to move-Askan was fine as he was- he would do so at his behest. It was the least he could do. The little addition at the end made Askan raise his brows in surprise. Had he done something to suggest he didn't want to be here? That he was only here to pity cuddle him? Pfft. If Askan wasn't into this-not that he'd word it as such- then he wouldn't be here. Plain and simple. Wasn't that easy to understand? Couldn't Reyes see that?

"Sure." Askan grumbled as he got to his feet, as much as he possibly could anyway. There wasn't much room. Crouching, with his ears pressed to his head, he looked down at Reyes. " Get comfortable, I'll squeeze in where there's room. Oh, and for the record, if I didn't want to be here I wouldn't be.

“I ain’t that big.”

Curvy, sure. Voluptuous? That word probably applied too. Hell, he was more well-endowed than most of the females in their pack, and he’d been wintering on his own. But the retort was only to cover the relief, the gratitude that he was allowed to reorganize. As much as he wanted to curl himself up into a tight little ball and huddle away from the cold, it pulled his wound in all the wrong directions. So he made quick work of shuffling across the cool earth, extending limbs as he pressed against the back wall, attempting to leave some room for the other wolf (despite his earlier protest).

Once he was done, he glanced over his shoulder, waiting for Askan to join him. “That fucker got my shoulders all sore,” the swarthy male finally admitted, tail immediately seeking out its counterpart as soon as the other wolf had settled on the ground as well. “And my hind limb…” Reyes just trailed off with a heavy sigh, clearly unimpressed with his own general state of well-being (or lack thereof). But he had eased his wounds as much as he could, for the moment, and the warmth radiating off the beta was what he craved the most. He let the silence settle for a few moments, attempting to find a comfortable place for his head somewhere across Askan’s body.

“Thanks. For comin’ to find me, I mean. Bein’ alone with yourself is fuckin’ shitty, sometimes.”

Askan’s company was so, so much better.

Askan begged to differ, but he wasn't in the mood to argue. As amusing as their banter was, it was obvious that now wasn't the time to throw quips back and forth. At the very least, he wanted to get settled before they started talking, as right there and then he was still squatting and his neck was pressed uncomfortably against the ceiling. Thankfully, Reyes didn't take too long to get comfortable. He'd shifted from his spot and had effectively positioned himself where Askan had been previously laying. The petty part of him wanted to call him out for being a spot hog, but the reasonable part of his mind knew that he'd agreed to move in the first place. So bitching about it was kinda pointless. Stepping over Reyes, Askan spun a time or two before he sank down onto the floor, his body tucked into a compact ball.

Only once he was done, did he allow himself to muse over Reyes' words. He thought the wound to his neck was enough, but apparently the same couldn't be said for Icicle. The Selwyn's eyes narrowed in scorn, and he couldn't help but resent him even more. Perhaps just as much as Reyes did. Sure, Askan had wounded him once, but it had been a misunderstanding. Not to mention he swore that he'd never do so again. And as cheap as talk was, Askan truly meant it, he wouldn't lie to Reyes. Not now and not ever.

Not knowing how to respond to that, the Yukon wolf merely hummed in acknowledgement as he felt a chin settle on his back. Even if he hadn't known it was Reyes behind him, he couldn't help but think that he would have recognised him by touch alone. After all, he'd become accustomed to the familiar weight of his head, and the way he so often curled up behind him. So little thought had to be put into getting comfortable with him around, and this point it was as though their bodies just knew what to do, as though it were muscle memory.

"Don't mention it." Askan murmured, as his eyes shut on their own accord and he pushed himself against Reyes' warm body.Still, he couldn't help but voice the one question that popped into his head. Not to break the silence, but merely because he was curious. " I thought you wouldn't mind being on your own, you know since you were a loner for so long. What's changed?"

 

Sure, having Askan as a wind guard sure felt nice, but the pressure relief was vastly needed.  He might have wagged his tail, but that would mean he couldn’t drape it across the Yukon’s plush flag, and that just wouldn’t do.  Shifting his snout just a little, he whuffled, inhaling the male’s scent deeply as he let the warmth roll back over him.  Just one sleep away from Wild Rye Fields, and he’d be fine, right?  They’d head back in the morning, and it would be back to business as usual.

The question stirred the older wolf from his slowing thoughts, if only briefly.  “Hm?  Just ‘cos I can doesn’t mean I wanna.  Not all the time, anyways.”  Reyes snorted, shaking his head ever so slightly.  Besides, this wolf, right here?  He was different.  He couldn’t say how, or why, but Askan was different.  His company was different.  Special, if he wanted to be all soft about it.  “‘sides, after that?  Rather you than just me.”  And the memory of what Icicle did.  The burn of what Drestig said.  And he might have left it there, if not for a little nagging feeling, crawling up from the warmth in his chest and wiggling around somewhere in his throat.

“I like you.  S’all there is to it, chaco.”

(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2017, 08:56 PM by Reyes.)

Askan supposed that made sense. Just because you could survive on your own didn't mean it was any fun, or that you were really living. Winter was hard enough for pack wolves, he had a hard time trying to imagine himself having the sheer willpower to do it alone in the dead of winter. Reyes was remarkable really. And it irritated Askan to know that not everyone knew it, that they just assumed he was a grumpy hot-head, when in reality there was far more to him than what met the eye. At the same time-and rather confusingly- the Selwyn was sort of glad that he was one of the few people who knew him like this. That he was close enough to Reyes to see his true colours.

"Yeah, I guess I can see that. Wasn't that fond of being on my own before. Was kinda lonely." He admitted with a shrug. It wasn't something he liked to talk about, at all. But if it remained between the two of then than surely it wouldn't hurt. It wasn't like Reyes was the sort to go and gossip to the others.

"I see where you're coming from, I guess. You're a lot better than the cold." And is if to prove his point, he burrowed deeper into Reyes' thick winter coat with a satisfied grumble. This was leagues better than curling up on his own.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Askan didn't have many friends, or that he could count the amount of people who actually liked him on one paw. There had always been something about his demeanour, his way of going about things that rubbed others the wrong way. So a lifetime of being snubbed and insulted had hardened him to the reality that he was more or less unlikable. Despicable. A waste of space. But here Reyes was, saying the unthinkable. He was going against common opinion and claiming that he actually liked him! Blinking owlishly, Askan had a hard time processing this revelation. Silence settled between them and stretched on and on until he finally mustered the courage to speak.

"Well...Uh, thank you. I guess." Gods he sounded like such a jerk. So brittle. "I like you too..." Oh shit he was coming on too strong, time to backpedal! "What I mean to say is....Yeah. You're good." He groaned and tucked his head between his front legs. Pitiful.

Shit, Askan was such a mess. That made two peas in a pod, didn’t it? Reyes certainly wasn’t in much better shape himself, internally or otherwise. So he opted to keep his mouth shut (rarely did this get him in trouble as much as wagging his tongue did), nuzzling into his companion’s thick ruff. It smelled so good, so calming – tomorrow was another day, and he would deal with it when the sun rose and demanded his full attention. Until then… Until then, he was allowed to enjoy this, if not for a little longer.

Askan liked him. Askan thought he was good, and damn it all to hell and back if that wasn’t a new feeling. A good feeling.

A teeny, tiny smile crossed dry lips as he settled back down, eyes slowly shifting shut as his breathing started to even out. It was a little difficult to determine if Askan was asleep, or just resting – and perhaps he was just tired, but Reyes found he really didn’t care before opening his mouth one last time before sleep found him. “Stay,” he murmured. Not here, the Rye wolf had already agreed to keep him company for the night. “With me. Stay.”