The male stretched himself near the springs. The hot waters steam making it even more hot towards his fur. He paid no mind to moving though, he didn't feel the want to do anything. He had made his rounds around the border and now he just felt.... tired. It wasn't the kind of tired where he wished to sleep either. He let his paws sink into the warm water. It felt nice but at the same time it was a horrible reminder of his pain.
Did all adults feel like this, he certainly hoped not but it wasn't the first time he had felt such strong emotions. He settled his head between his paws, he felt lost and alone was what it was. Once in his life time he would give a leg to spend some time with someone. Yet he felt like an utter fool for thinking so. He would only be a bother to his friend surely. He sighed.
Today felt strangely peaceful. The air was humid and stuffy, the summer sun beating down on her green back. A calming quietness drifted through the land, only the soft sounds of the bubbling springs and chirping creatures trickling in the background. It was a warm day, one that required her to take a dip in the volcanic pools. As she slowly made her way over to the water, her scarlet gaze took in the exotic scenery as she felt her posture relax. Only one thing could make this day better. Well, someone.
Crimson eyes twinkled at the sight of the russet male who seemed to have the same idea of dipping into the water. Great minds think alike, she supposed. Picking up her pace, she settled herself by the pool's edge beside her friend. She remained silent except for the gentle smile upon her features, not wanting to break the tranquility. Slowly, she allowed the water to swallow her green paws, feeling the water swirl her fur about.
If there was one way he didn't want Zephyra to see him, it was in a state of turmoil. However it seemed not easily avoided now that everything that was going on in his life. She seemed to slip through next to him, not speaking a word. He didn't know whether he should have been excited, or rather depressed. His heart pounded against his chest, and he wished he could speak properly but what if she flat out rejected him. Spoil her day with his problems, that's not something he wanted to do. Instead he let a sigh leave his body after he looked at her, looking at the water. "You look beautiful today." the compliment was almost unintended, but the truth none the less.
He looked at the black and green lady again. Her colors in itself made his heart feel warm, he body close to his. Rivaxorus tried to conceal another sigh as he lowered his head. Gods save him from his emotions, he had lost his mother and he had lost his father. That wasn't what hurt the most though - he had made a fatal mistake and practically ruined his relationship with his sister. That was something.... he almost could never forgive himself for. "What do you do when you feel upset Zephyra? Confused about how you're feeling or what you should be doing?" he asked softly.
Finally, the silence was broken by his words. She had accustomed to his little compliments, and though she didn't believe them herself, they seemed to get nicer each time. In saying this, she didn't find his words the least bit strange or odd, just pleasant to hear. It made her feel all warm on the inside and brought a smile to her features. After all, she was an attention-seeker; she was hungry for compliments and craved the touch of others. With the latter on her mind, she scooted closer to the male until her fur brushed his; ebony strands entwining with russet. Yes, she felt much better.
He spoke again, this time raising a couple intriguing questions. A small frown moulded into her complexion as she tilted her head to the side, feeling a mixture of confusion and curiosity. What had influenced him to bring those inquiries up, she didn't know. Either way, she'd still answer. What did she do when she was upset? Well, there was the time when she had discovered her mother was sick - an illness of the mind if she recalled correctly - and that had been difficult for her. Not many things blocked the headstrong and resilient girl, but seeing her family in pain definitely got to her. "I'm not good at dealing with my emotions by myself, so it helps to talk to others," she answered softly, remembering her encounter with her brother before she had left. Right when her mother got sick. "Why do you ask?"
Talking with others, well he certainly knew he rarely spoke about his problems. He wanted to conceal them entirely, so that he wasn't a bother to others. When Zephyra pressed into him, it was a sort of tranquility that settled into him. Rivaxorus never thought he'd be this comfortable around anyone. Was he really that selfish and underminding? He didn't want to think of himself that way, but he sighed. His tail would sit over her own, as he took a deep breath hearing what she said.
"My father left, he killed the one who murdered our mother and just upt and left us. And the worst of it, my sister Holly who was still in Borealis - she hates me now. I don't know what's worse - being angry and my dad for him breaking his promise or being upset that I fucked up with my sister." Rivaxorus said as he looked at his reflection in the water. He wouldn't wish any of this upon Zephyra, but she had every right to know what was going on in his life. Not only that, but maybe if he could be of help to her he'd offer that as well.
She listened, as always, to what he had to say. Family issues were the worst type of dilemmas, she had to admit. After all, kin were the most loved and treasured wolves in one's life, and because of that, there was always leeway for heartbreak and tragedy. Family could make you feel all different emotions, and just how they could make you laugh or smile, they could also anger you. That's why she tried not to attach herself to anyone, and even with a faint bond between her and her mother, the news of the sickness had still torn a piece of her heart apart.
Although these weren't her problems, it felt like they were. The way how her friend described the situation made her connect and feel the same emotions that he spoke of. She was about to say her mother was sick back in Borealis, and there was nothing she could do about it while her siblings probably hated her for leaving, but then she decided not to. This conversation wasn't about feeling pity for others. It wasn't about dwelling on the past. It was about dealing with it. "You can try to re-establish a relationship with your sister," she thought aloud, thinking about her own brother and sisters. "But there's no point in being angry over your dad. If he abandoned your family then he wasn't a part of it in the first place."
The boy hummed for a moment, thinking about what Zephyra said. He could wait for time to pass, he could attempt to do something for Holly. It wasn't like he had done anything special for her in first place, so he would damn well have to do something amazing. Rivaxorus listened to her with his father as well. It was a little hard to understand, he was never part of it in the first place. It hurt to hear someone say that for the simple reason that they were correct. For someone who played a vital role in their life, it was like another tooth in the heart when someone asked how his father was doing. When he would have to tell him he just left. Rivaxorus went silent he liked the proximity they were in.
"Thank you Zephyra, if you ever need to talk about anything I'm here." he said he smiled a bit. He could breath a bit easier, it would still hurt for a while but there wasn't much he could do about that. "I don't think I ever want to let you go anymore." he looked at her. While he was unaware of what these feelings meant, he sort of understood. It was like with his mother and father, there was also Amalia and Athena. Though his heart started to pound against his chest again, he tried not to seem too embarrassed.
She was quite surprised to hear him thank her for the advice. Helping other wolves with their problems wasn't something she was particularly good at it, nor did she enjoy. Usually she found such situations a bit awkward, unsure if she would make it worse when she interfered. Today was an exception. Perhaps it was because he was her friend and so she carried an undying loyalty to him. Whenever he was feeling low or sought advice, she would be there for him. The realisation shocked her. Was she that attached to him?
"That's alright," she answered quietly, scarlet eyes twinkling as she placed a paw over his reassuringly. It was a relief to hear that he would offer his own assistance if she ever needed it. She didn't think she would, though she had a feeling her life was bound to take a tragic turn sooner or later. She couldn't live perfectly all the time, not that she believed she did. "What do you mean?" she asked in a small voice in response to his statement, confusion upon her ebony features as she tilted her head to the side. He wasn't going to let her go? What did that mean? Were they more than friends now?
Why did he say that, he was caught off guard now. Though it seemed like she might have been in the same boat when it came to emotions. The worse part was thinking about getting rejected. Rivaxorus tried to hide his head now. Turning is away from Zephyra he laughed a bit nervously. "Well it just came out you see because I like you." he was never mister smooth was he. His tail twitched as he looked back towards her, he lowered his eyes. "I do know I like you - and maybe a lot more then a friend would. Sometimes no most times, whatever I'm doing I'm thinking about you." he looked at the ground. It was even harder with how close she was.
"I guess it would be that I'm falling in love with you." Rivaxorus breathed trying to calm himself down. Now that he actually said it out loud, was that what it actually was. Wanting to protect her and keep her safe - not just that he wanted her to excel in everything that she thought she could do. She was just as much family as everyone else was, with the heartbreak of messing up with his sister even then. His two different colored eyes had trouble looking her in the eye.
He looked away from her almost bashfully, and her curious scarlet eyes searched for his. Had she done something wrong? Had she offended him? Perhaps he felt awkward, embarrassed, but what for? They were friends, surely there wasn't something he wasn't comfortable telling her. At first he stated that he liked her, and a small frown crept to her features. She liked him too; what was so awkward about that? Of course friends liked each other - that was normal, wasn't it?
He went on to explain that he liked in a different manner, more than in a friend way. She was still a bit confused. Where was he going with this? What did he mean? If he liked her more than as a friend then that meant...
He loved her.
The girl still hadn't grasped the concept of love. Sure, she loved her family, but someone else? Those were different feelings. Similar yet different. She didn't know what it was like to love someone else. After all, her parents had never loved each other. Her mother had found her father in the hopes of being blessed with children to raise on her own. Then he left. No wonder she knew little of the strong emotion. "In love?" she echoed breathlessly, an innocent look in her doe-like eyes. "With me?"
If it was anything, his inexperience with the subject would be the death of him. The only experience he had of love was seeing other wolves with their mates. Leo even had his own wedding which was when two hearts were brought together by strong emotions. Then there was the fact that mates often had litters with each other. Yet he was too young to think of that right now, her question hit his ears. Had he said something wrong? She took his breath away, the very thing he needed to live. Holding that with her, Riv knew if anything harmed her he would be very upset. Hating to say it, he think he'd be more upset then when his mother had died. The end of his tail twitched, brushing over her own in their close proximity.
"Yes, I very much think so." Rivaxorus muttered. "I know it's stupid to spring it up on you now." he laughed nervously. "I like being close to you, most of my thoughts tends to gravitate towards you - and it just seems like I want you by my side forever. " shifting a bit he still kept close to her. Maybe essentially that was what was making this harder, that and he had never ever done anything like this in his life.
So it was true, he loved her; she hadn't misheard. Her breath was taken away; caught in her throat as she inhaled. She had lived her entire life thinking she was worthless and that nobody liked her, loved her, cared for her. Until she met Riv. He had brought the confidence back in her life, made her believe that she was truly beautiful and special in her own way. For that, she was grateful. How could she be blessed with such a loyal, worthwhile friend? Without him, where would she be? Would she still be as strong? Oh, how could she ever repay him?
Though the question remained: did she return the feelings? She didn't know herself. Although they hadn't spoken much, it seemed like so much had happened. Her mind was so cluttered; a mess of emotions and odd sensations. She just needed to sort herself out. Maybe visit her family in Borealis to take her mind off of everything? "I...I need some time...for myself," she stammered in a flustered manner, feeling her face grow warm as she awkwardly rose to her paws. She didn't want him to think that she now hated him or didn't want to spend time with him...she just needed a breather. "Um...I-I'll see you when I get back...from Borealis, I mean."
