Wild Rye Fields Death Of A Bachelor

 @Reyes first for a couple of turns, then the wonderful @Jessie

It wasn't as though Askan was deliberately hiding the extent of his and Gabriel's relationship. He'd simply...Not gotten around to telling anyone yet. Not even the old man. He wasn't ashamed, far from it really, it just hadn't even occurred to him that it was something he could do. As much as they were a family, it wasn't anyone else's business. It didn't effect the others in anyway-aside from the fact that they both were more chipper- so what was the point?

That wasn't to say Askan had been thinking about it, or that it had even crossed his mind. Why would it, when he was spending time with his favourite grump in the whole wide world? Maybe that should have made the others suspicious, how they were practically glued together at the hip. But from what Askan could tell they weren't. Or at least no one had mentioned it to him.

Stretching down into a play bow, Askan shot his mate a wry grin.

"Come on, Gabe. Show me what you've got." And just to be extra thorough he shot him a cheeky wink. You know, just to make his intentions all the more crystal clear.

It had been a long time since they had last tussled and honestly he saw no reason not to. When he'd been feeling unwell Reyes had gone above and beyond the call of duty. He'd been so good and gentle and kind, just thinking about it made Askan's chest feel all warm and fuzzy. But now he was better, not the same as before but that was a given. No one was around, they were near their den and he doubted anyone would pass by. It was always quiet this end of the territory.

"Come onnnnn, play with me."Askan groaned, like a pesky pup who wasn't getting it's own way. For good measure he wiggled his butt and slapped at the ground with his front paws. "You can sunbathe later, get up."

Reyes laid half-in, half-out of their own personal den, chin resting on his forelimbs as his mate pranced around him like a spring-struck puppy who’d never seen the late summer sun before. Cracking a yawn, he peeled his eyes open, staring the younger wolf down as he slapped legs down in a play bow, cute tush wiggling in the air as he tried to entice the gamma into a play fight. Eh…

He stretched his toes out, head arching high as he stretched his neck…and staunchly decided not to move. “Sure can’t sunbathe later,” he drawled lazily, a smirk sliding across his lips, thick, self-satisfied syrup. His voice just dripped with satisfaction. “Sun’s gonna fuckin’ set, cabrón.” It was said fondly, like a treasured pet name instead of an insult – and it was, though just for this man, right here. “So yeah, ‘m gonna enjoy it while it’s out.”

The days were getting shorter. It wasn’t that noticeable, not yet anyways. But they were, and that meant winter with her long nights and short days was coming – even when the sun sparkled brightly across the snow, it was still as frigid as a bitch’s tit. He hummed, smirk growing. “Sure don’t mind the show, though.”

 

Damn sun-worshipper. What was so good about laying around and getting all hot and bothered? As enticing as Gabe made it seem-splayed out and all handsome like that- Askan had no intention nor desire to join him. He didn't mind the occasional warm day and a bit of sunshine, but the sane couldn't be said for long sweltering summer days. Reyes was from the warm south ,and Askan the cold north so the differences in their opinions made sense but were irritating all the same.

They might have had a lot in common, but in moments like this it was clear to Askan that they weren't the same. But rather than be dismayed, it was like a breath of fresh air, for surely he would have hated his mate if he was anything like the man he knew he was. Annoying, stuck up snob with a long stick up his arse. Or as some might say, how very Selwyn of him , living up to the tatters of his family name.

Ah whatever. How cared about that shit? Certainly not Askan...Or so he'd have others think.

Rolling his eyes, Askan straightened out his posture, denying his mate the show he seemed to be enjoying so much. Two could play at this game. If Reyes thought he was going to give in easily then he had another thing coming, smug bugger.

"Well, that's too bad." Askan said, his voice dripping with false sincerity as a sly smile tugged at his lips.

Without warning Askan dropped down onto his haunches,  and used Reyes' head and a large portion of his neck as a-surprisingly comfortable- seat.

There, Askan would like to see him enjoy the sun when he was doing such a damn good job at blocking it from his view. This would serve him right for ignoring him, Askan, his mate(!) over that damn ball of fire in the sky. If he liked it so much, why didn't he ask it to be his mate huh? A funny idea, really. One he couldn't help but snigger at, as silly as it was.

"Yeah, maybe this isn't so bad." Being the-not so- little shit he was, he pressed his rump down a little harder as he wiggled to get comfortable, squashing Reyes further in the process. He grinned like the cat who ate the canary."Not much of a view though."

“Oof!”

He might have had more to say, but Askan was quite clearly interested in one thing: making himself more comfortable (and making his mate regret his position in the process). The older wolf squirmed beneath the weight and pointy limbs, first trying to find a safe spot, and then trying to drag himself out from under the heft of the recovering guardian. Flicking his whiskers, Reyes tried to dig his paws (and claws) into the dirt to haul away, but the wolf found no purchase as he struggled.

He lifted his head up, mouth twisting into a sharp expression as he observed his partner with one silver eye. His whiskers bristled again, tail bushed out. “I’ll show you a fuckin’ view,” the wolf grunted. In a bolt of energy, he’d pulled his legs to him and hoisted himself upwards, summarily dumping his mate off to one side. Reyes skittered away – briefly entertaining the idea of just sitting on the cheeky wolf’s head for his impudence – before darting back in, pushing just close enough to grab one fuzzy ear and give a tug. Now he was up. Up and all the sleepiness had washed away from his bones. Askan better be happy now, damn him, always getting what he wanted.

“Remember you asked for this,” he groused, swing his rump around to smack the younger wolf. Brat.

Askan should have realised that Gabe wasn't going to take this sitting-or rather laying- down.

Reyes was many things, but a doormat he was not. If Askan was acting like a pest then it was obvious, or at least it should have been, that he was damn well going to respond in turn. Which of course he did, in typical loud-mouth Reyes fashion. One moment the Selwyn had been sitting comfortably with his mate wiggling and squirming beneath him as he tried and failed to wriggle free. The next Askan had been tossed aside as though he weighed little more than a feather.

And worst of all, he yelped like someone had just stomped on his tail. What a sissy. Good no one but Gabe was around to see this.

Landing with an muffled 'offf' Askan scrambled to his feet and shook himself off in an attempt to gather what little dignity he had left. He didn't even have time to gather himself, for as soon as he'd steadied himself Reyes was on him pulling at his ear. Oh so now he wanted to play? Huh, funny how quickly things changed.

Anyone else might have found his words scathing, like falling into an icy pond, but not Askan. He knew what they were worth and what his mate meant. They were harmless, a little prod to see if he would rise to the bait Reyes was dangling right in front of his nose.

Of course, he went for it and bumped right back into him with a shove of his hefty shoulders. Though he didn't stop there, oh no. Being so close to Reyes' handsome face he couldn't resist the urge to grab a quick smooch.

Well...maybe it wasn't as quick as he had planned, because one lick turned into two, then three then four and so on so forth. But what did it matter? Gabe was paying attention to him and really, that's all he could ever want.

"Mm, I'm not complaining." He admitted, his tail wagging behind him a mile a minute.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

Here he was, giving Askan a prime view of his fabulous rump, and the wolf was chasing after his scarred face instead. Not that he could blame the man. Scars or not, it was a pretty handsome face. He was pretty sure they’d had such a conversation upon their first meeting – their faces weren’t that different on first look. (Ugly tearing aside.) Tall, dark, and handsome.

Okay, but the kisses were pretty good.

Reyes rumbled happily, stamping his thick paws against the ground a few times as he twisted, returning the sloppy kisses in kind. This was better than sunning. The gamma wasn’t about to admit it out loud, but he was pretty damn sure about it. Behind him, his bushy tail swung back and forth, and his ears strained a little further forward, nipping affectionately at his lover’s nose.

“Y’better not complain. I’d have a few words for ya if you did, mi amor.” Probably not as nice as that last nick name, either. His tail continued to wiggle as he circled around, pressing their sides together. This was better than scuffling, too. Reyes dropped his head a notch, licking underneath his mate’s chin – in both affection, and loyalty – and maybe even a bit of submission.

Jessie genuinely prided herself on not getting into her members’ business. Whatever they did in their free time was their decision as long as it did not affect the Rye in any negative way – and if it did Jessie would have no problem handling it. After checking in with her children to make sure they did not get into trouble, and to ensure they were still within the safety of their borders, the mother set out towards the borders. It would be useful for the pack if they could find a scent trail for a nearby herd. Even though she knew that the caches were far from empty, in the meantime, it would be worthwhile to think in the long term and see what they could find. The pepper-and-salt colored woman did not get very far though, a startled yelp distracting her from the goals she had set for the day. A frown pulled on the petite woman’s face as she trotted towards where the sound had come from, eyebrows creasing in concern. It certainly was not one of her children but someone else. The scents of Reyes and Askan were strong. Jessie had never sought out the pair but had her own assumptions about what the two could mean to one another. The Tainn had never found a den that they shared but she was quick to come to the assumption that they did share a den because they both slept separately from the common area. She was thankful for Reyes though, for he had taken care of Askan when he had been attacked, taken care of the idiot who thought it was okay to mess with one of their own. Well, he had learned quickly. As she neared the area where she had heard the cry, her eyebrows immediately shot up, jaw clamping down to keep any noise from escaping. There in front of her was Askan, very clearly uninjured and kissing Reyes’ face. Jessie tried to get her jaw to work but it was just stuck. There was no denying one thing though, for the first time since she had met him, Askan looked happy. And Reyes readily returned his affections, his words sending a fresh wave of embarrassment flooding through Jessie and making her feel hot. This banter reminded her of something she had once upon another lifetime and it made her nauseous. I shouldn’t be watching this. Finally, her jaw reconnected with her brain and Jessie cleared her throat making it clear that she was there. “Hello, boys.” Her tail waved behind her neutrally, emerald eyes cast to the side. The mother did not know if she was more embarrassed for them – that she was watching their displays – or for herself, for clearly walking in on a private moment. Jessie Tainn was not one for physical displays of affection herself, even in private and to see it so freely given out between Askan and Reyes made her shift her paws between her feet. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before! And finally, she turned her gaze back upon the two dark males of her pack.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Askan had a bad case of wiggle butt. He looked more like an elated puppy than the grumpy adult he was. But who cared? Certainly not Askan. He was happy damn it, on cloud nine. When he was with Gabe all his troubles seemed to far away, like he was keeping them at bay with his steely gaze and sharp tongue. They'd return in time, no doubt, but at least for now Askan had a reprieve, time to just be himself with the man he really really really cared for.

This was their place, a little slice of paradise they had carved out for themselves. He'd never worried about someone stumbling upon them before and he certainly wasn't worried then. If anything, he was more than a little distracted. It was totally reasonable, considering just how skilled Gabe was at using that tongue of his. It briefly occurred to him that he might have had a quite a bit of practice at this sort of thing, after all how else would he have gotten so damn good? Like toe curling sort of good. But then again, jealously aside did it really matter? Reyes was his now and that's all that counted.

The kisses to his chin were the icing on the top of the cake. He didn't want his mate's submission-they were equals, damn it- but kisses were kisses and who was he to say no to something that felt so right?

He was so lost in the moment, basking in the presence and affection of his mate that he didn't notice Jessie's presence until it was too late. And then, when her words met his ears he near shrieked like a girl and jumped out of his skin, headbutting Reyes in the process as he tried to prance away.

"GAHHH!"

What was she-Jessie of all wolves- doing here?! Oh no. The Guardian was at a loss of what to say or do. How much as had she seen? Oh...From the look on her face and the fact that her gaze was averted...oh this was bad news. Very bad news. She knew, she had seen all she needed to for her to realise just how close they were.

Because come on, it wasn't like Askan kissed every wolf he met. That would be gross.

Ducking down, his tail flicked between his legs and he too averted his gaze. Like he was a pup who'd been caught raiding a cache. How embarrassing. Not to say he was ashamed but....He wasn't sure why he felt so bad, but he just knew that he did.

"Ah ha ha. Hey there. Didn't uh...see you."

He wished a giant hole would appear in the ground, just so he could jump into it. That was a far better fate than this.

Kisses were kisses, but submission wasn’t so bad, not to Askan. Because his mate didn’t force it, didn’t even really expect it despite the fact that he was beta and Reyes was gamma, and maybe that’s why the scarred wolf didn’t mind giving in kindly every now and again. It would never be a regular thing – frankly, he doubted the cheeky Selwyn would even like that – but it was a good change of pace. Whatever was in the air right now, it seemed to suit it, and the male probably would have continued had a feminine voice and Askan’s sudden shrieking not changed the mood entirely.

The older male pinned his ears against his skull, wincing at the sharp noise as he took a step back. Really? Right in his ears like that? But—

Why was Askan looking so sheepish? The squint turned into a narrowed stare, silver eyes flicking from his mate and settling on Jessie. She seemed equally as uncomfortable, but he had to figure she wasn’t planning on stumbling upon two of her subordinates making out like love-struck puppies, either. He sighed, tail lashing behind his haunches as Askan spoke up.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Was he ashamed? Of this? Of him?

Reyes turned away. “Jessie,” he rumbled gruffly, giving the alpha his full attention. “Did you need something?”

@Jessie -- You're up!  <3