Dead Empress Backwater skinny love

His recovery had been going well, even better over the course of the past day where her alluring scent had begun to change and it was clear that children had taken hold within her… he had yet to run into her since it had happened. She was busy as a leader of the pack, and he was as well between recovering from his injuries and preparing to once again face down against Vasco. It was not the last that the Halex had seen from him. No, far from… he would not relent until the man had to bow before him once more.

Or, clearly, until one of them died. Vasco had set that expectation, Vayko was merely responding in suit.

He had found the plumpest rabbit around, letting it dangle in his jaws as he actively sought her out. It was around the time she should be eating lunch, and he would do nothing less than dote on her and ensure she was getting everything she needed… he tried to do that regardless of whether or not she was pregnant, but especially now so that it was not only her that he was feeding, but the life that would be developing inside of her.

Vayko Valle

The change in her scent was unmistakable, not only to her but also the others around her. But she had not let it interfere with her daily leader duties, which admittedly were keeping her more busy than she would have liked. The desire to simply cuddle up beside Vayko was strong, but she had made a promise to Viorel to be a satisfactory co-leader.

Clover had just returned to her infirmary after a border patrol when Vayko came into view, carrying a rabbit with him. She smiled widely at the sight of him, tail swishing happily behind her. All thoughts of re-ordering her herbs were gone as she focused her full attention on him.

"Is it lunch time already?" She could think of no other reason why he would be carrying around a rabbit, other than potentially burying it in one of the food caches.

He would offer her a smile as he set it down. “Yes. There wasn’t anything super large in the caches and fresh food is better anyway.” Especially for her, now that she was with child. He would offer a gentle run of his nose against her cheek in greeting before he motioned to the catch he had brought for her. He would grab something quick out of the nearby cache for himself, something smaller since he planned on trying to refill the caches immediately after.

He could find something he deemed more satisfactory then.

“How have you been feeling?” He would ask with a soft tenor in his voice that was reserved only for her. She had softened him in that way, though the rest of the world continued to try and harden him against showing his thoughts or feelings… she was the light in it all.

“And you’ve been taking breaks, right?”

Vayko Valle

Clover crooned softly, returning the gentle touch of nose to cheek, breathing in Vayko's scent with a deep inhale. "I didn't realise it was so late in the day, time got away from me I guess." She murmured softly into the fur of his cheek before pulling back, the wide smile still present on her face.

She gave a half shrug at his question. "Much better now that you're doing okay." Her worry had reached an extreme level for a bit in the beginning of his recovery, a small part of her wondering if that time would have been the one where she didn't know enough to help him. But thankfully he was improving each day, alleviating the majority of her worries.

His next question had her simply staring at him silently, before her ears flicked back and she gave a small shake of her head. "There's just so much to do, and keeping busier was easier than sitting alone and worrying about you." Clover's smile became a tad sheepish, already expecting him to insist that she should be taking breaks. And she understood why he was asking, but knowingly leaving more work for Viorel to do just didn't sit well with her.

"But now that you're here we can eat lunch together?" The rabbit would not be enough for the both of them, but they could easily stop by one of the caches to pick up another morsel.

(This post was last modified: Aug 14, 2023, 12:08 PM by Clover.)

He understood how easy it was to get lost in work or task… and he knew that her job was an important one, and thus easy to lose track of time. He had ensured she would get her full, either through his paw or through a swift request to another to ensure that she ate something… not just because she was carrying his pups but because he genuinely wanted to see her healthy. He wanted to see her fit and healthy. He wanted her to feel joy, and not taking care of herself would be a detriment to that.

He smiled softly, running his nose gently against her cheek for a moment. “Largely thanks to you, darling… I’m not certain I’d have been around to have this conversation had you not found me.” He managed to state it without too much of his bitterness coming to the forefront… there would be time to plot revenge later. The only time he could find some measure of peace was when he was with her… only then could that need for revenge be sated.

“Yes, let’s eat together… there’s a cache nearby.” He stated, setting the rabbit down before moving to the nearby cache, which was only a minute’s distance from her, fetching an older rabbit and bringing it over so they might eat together.

Vayko Valle

"Best not to think about that. You're here; that's all that matters." She didn't want to think about what could have happened had she not been there or known what to do. There was no use putting herself through that emotional rollercoaster when Vayko was standing before her, alive and well, and getting better each day.

She would wait patiently for him to return with his own lunch, lips pulling up in a delighted grin at the prospect of spending some time alone with him. Clover grabbed the gifted lunch he had brought her, carrying it over to a nearby empress tree and settling down beside the trunk. It was better than sitting out in the open, and gave them a sense of privacy.

"I've always liked Spring," she said almost dreamily, happy at the prospect of warmer and longer days, and more herbs for her to harvest.

Your toxic I'm slipping under

With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride

He did not want to think about how close to death he had wandered when Clover had found him, able to nurse him back to health. He still felt as if he was regaining his strength, but there was a certain relief to it. He didn’t blame her when she said that it didn’t matter, that Clover did not want to think about it. He didn’t really want to talk about it either. He didn’t know if it was a good idea overall to dwell on it. Even as it lingered, as he spoke to his father about it, iit was something he did not want the public to know too much about.

He would return with his own food, nestling up beside her for the moment. “I have too… as a kid I really liked the Fall the most, but there is something about Spring that just brings a sense of peace.” Summer could be that way too, if it wasn’t too horribly hot out for it to be enjoyable.

She leaned into Vayko's side as he settled in beside her, enjoying the warmth that he provided where their fur met. A soft giggle escaped her as he spoke, curious as to why he liked fall the best. Clover could agree that it was a good choice, and personally more preferrable than the heat of summer given the thickness of her coat even after shedding.

"Was it the crunchy leaves?" she said teasingly, remembering how fun it was as a pup herself to play in the leaves and debris on the ground from the trees and shrubbery going into survival mode for the upcoming winter.

Clover then took a bite out of her meal, savouring the freshness of the taste as she chewed, and humming quietly in appreciation. Now that she was taking a moment to slow down and give her mind a break from all the things she had to do, she could appreciate just how much she really needed it. It was difficult for her to pace herself, being so used to constantly putting others needs before her own, and so she was thankful of Vayko for reminding her to take it easy.

(This post was last modified: Nov 14, 2023, 09:55 PM by Clover.)

Your toxic I'm slipping under

With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride

There was a comfort that came from her presence. It was still so strange to him, being able to find such comfort in another. To say that he’d been an angsty teen turned into a bitter man had been an understatement, but Clover had softened him quite a bit, the prospect of being a father softening him even more though he would not admit that to anyone, least of all Viorel.

As she teased him, he simply offered her a bashful smile, nosing her towards her food and watching as she took a bite before he would offer an answer to her question.

“It was the crunchy leaves and the colder weather.” He’d wink at her, a little playful as he found a comfort in their closeness once more. “I don’t like the winter, but the fall is crisp enough for me to not overheat in my coat, but not cold enough for me to be chilled constantly.”

Clover made an 'ahh' noise of understanding at his clarification. Sometimes she forgot those with longer legs and thinner coats weren't as durable against the cold of winter as she was. "As much as I liked winter as a child I've found spring to be my favourite season. New beginnings, new life, and not too hot." The growth of all her herbs and medicinal plants was a big part in that; the stress of being unable to keep her stores stocked during winter was becoming more and more of a concern as of late.

She took another bite, finding her appetite to have increased with some sort of vengeance after the first mouthful reached her stomach. "I have high hopes that things will improve for us this year." After all they had been through it was only plausible to hope that everything would balance out and they would receive something good to counteract everything that had happened.