Cedarwood Forest you know you're gonna wake up in his bed in the morning

For @Veho~  *squishes roho together*

One, don't pick up the phone
You know he's only calling 'cause he's drunk and alone
Two, don't let him in
You have to kick him out again
Three, don't be his friend
You know you're gonna wake up in his bed in the morning
And if you're under him
You ain't getting over him
I've got new rules, I count 'em.
- Dua Lipa, "New Rules"

---

August 4th; Early morning; clear; 79° F, 12° C.

Since their encounter along the currents of Jasper Rocks, Rook had kept a watchful eye on Veho. Sometimes, he veered away on his own path, to patrol or to track any passing prey or simply have some quiet moments to himself. Merida and Mouse had become more and more mobile as the weeks had passed and, often, that meant that he had to hide for some time or else risk having a cub attached to his side until sundown. Today, he had been lucky (or so it seemed), and when he continued his little jaunt, hot on the Macieo's trail, he found himself eventually just settling down in the private den they shared. He had to trust that the Leader would return, to curl up at his side for the rest of the night - or, at least he had to try. Ophelia's death had hit hard and Rook had to wonder if they would ever share the sleeping space again.

For a time, he stared out into the depths of the Cedarwood, ears high and eyes wide as he set his head between his paws. He shifted about in the shredded cedar bark, dried grasses, and now-wilted lavender sprigs until he was comfortable. His eyelids drooped and he remained half-awake past midnight until the Sand Wolf decided to take him over. In the depths of sleep, he dreamed. Twice, he had startled himself awake after thinking Borden had barked for his attention at the den entrance. Both times his father was not there. When he had fallen back asleep, he found the darkest reaches of slumber. It had been quite a while since he had last been this tired...

The talk, painful as it had been, had served its purpose. It hurt, still. Every time he woke up, every time he closed his eyes, every time he walked by the cairn where they’d buried his daughter. The fading scents on Grizzly Hollow’s border hurt, too. It was only Rook and Amaryllis and Oisin now – and the puppies, of course – but he could hardly blame Oula for wanting to leave after what she witnessed. Frankly, he couldn’t blame Pip or her family, either – they deserved to raise their son somewhere safe, and happy. Somewhere without a cursed alpha.

Veho sighed softly, having spent most of the night awake – the memories were often the worst in the dark of night – and began a slow trek back to the den he was supposed to share with his mate. Their schedules had altered so drastically in the past several moons, it seemed they barely slept together at all. So it took him as a bit of a surprise when he spotted Rook still asleep, half in and half out of the small nook they shared.

He blinked mismatched eyes and edged forward, settling down just outside the mouth of the den before he leaned in, licking at the second’s muzzle. “Are you alright? Seems a strange place to sleep.” All exposed like that.

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

I liiiiiiiive~  ;-;  Just gonna reply here, 'cause I need to figure out what happened when I ran off for a bit...

'Oh, son,' Borden's voice came again, that dark face coming to Rook from the darkness behind his eyelids. Rook, oblivious to the waking world around him, squirmed, whimpering. 'I did not want this for you. This is not the Grizzly Hollow you were meant to have.' The younger Lyall sniffled in his sleep, whining once before falling silent when his father tried hard to assure him. 'You're gonna be alright, though.' The pained smile on Borden's face did nothing to convince Rook, but all Rook could really do was listen. 'You're a Lyall; you're going to be alright. Are you alright?'

Here, Rook supposed he ought to nod his head, but instead, another familiar voice had called out to him in the same question and his eyes fluttered open, pulled away from his father as he came to. He blinked as he stared up into his partner's gray-furred face. Veho's gentle kisses comforted him to some degree, bringing with it the realization that he was no longer asleep. All around them, the world was still dark; the dawn would not find them for a few hours yet.

The Second let loose a heavy sigh, releasing with it the sob he had been holding within. "I don't know," he admitted quietly, his ears falling back along his nape. "I think so. I..." He shouldn't have hesitated, let alone draw his gaze away from Veho at all, but a part of him was ashamed. "My dad came to see me. In a dream." His whiskered brows knitted together. He was worried... what else was new?

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.