It was really happening. They were going to have children. How soon, he didn't know, but soon enough to terrify him. Steel had no idea how to go about preparing for this, if he could do anything at all. So far, keeping Esarosa fed and comfortable seemed about all he could do. They still needed to decide on names, too. He couldn't help but feel as though he ought to be doing more, though.. most of the burden was on Esarosa and he felt guilty that he couldn't share it with her. A sigh fell from his lips as he moved through the pines, searching idly for a snack to bring his mate. Prey was more plentiful in the north now that the summer had arrived in full force, but he didn't know what she might be in the mood for. Rabbits were getting a bit old, he figured. He sniffed at the air, bowing his head to the ground as he trailed aimlessly after the scent of something that had moved through the forest recently.

Grinning to herself, she stalked the man who would be alongside her to raise the pups growing vigorously within her body. Although she felt heavy, and was certainly not at her best, Esarosa still had to amuse herself somehow. She had followed far behind Steel after he'd left the den, and decided to observe him from a distance, as a way to pass the time. Feeling heavier than she'd ever felt in her life, she wasn't exactly graceful enough to chase prey, but she was confident that she could follow her mate from a distance without being noticed. Even if he did know she was there... she had to at least pretend to herself that she was sneaky. It was simply too boring to lie around in a den all day! Sure, the babies would be on their way, but in the meantime, what was she expected to do? When she noticed his head bow to the ground, his nose picking up on something, that was when Esa decided to move in. Clumsy, not used to her growing weight, she bounded toward Steel, her paws crunching over the pine needles and twigs littering the ground. She yipped playfully as she approached him, her tail waving as she closed the distance between them. "Found anything?" she called out as she came closer. She knew that if he had, she'd probably just spooked everything away, but with how the season was going, she wasn't worried about going too long without a meal. They'd find something again in no time. Although... she was hungry. But, what else what new? "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel had no idea that Esarosa had followed him. He wouldn't object to it, either - his mind floated like a leaf on the wind, his attention only half on the task at hand. He mostly was thinking about their children, though they were such a big unknown that he didn't even really know what to think about. He didn't even know what genders they might be, let alone their names, or anything else. He hoped they had a few, but not too many. Fatherhood was a terrifying thought, though it was exciting too.. what if he couldn't handled them all? He shook his head, his vision refocusing as he lifted his head and stared into the distance. His focus was broken by his mate's soft bark, her voice accompanied by the sound of foliage breaking beneath her. A bit slowly he turned to face her, looking momentarily stunned, before letting a smile break out across his features. "What are you doing?" he'd ask her lightly, though he knew if he insisted she be resting rather than up and about, he wouldn't get the response he hoped for. "I caught the smell of something earlier, but..." Steel shrugged apologetically. "I guess I lost it. How are you feeling today?" He'd press his muzzle briefly to her cheek before pulling away and inspecting her.

Esarosa didn't miss the somewhat startled look upon his face, before his expression changed into a smile. "What's the matter, you think I'm gonna lay around all day?" she teased, winking an emerald eye at him, "I'm starting to feel so restless!" As he spoke, explaining that he had caught the scent of something earlier but lost it, she pressed forward, embracing him for a moment as he spoke, before pulling back and feeling his muzzle against her cheek. An amused grin spread across her maw as she watching him pull back and inspect her, asking how she was today. He certainly had become concerned about her, and his overly worrisome nature showed. It was quite endearing, she had to say, and she giggled in response to him. "I'm fine, I swear," she assured him, "Besides feeling heavier than whale..." Tilting her head, she let her eyes scan over him, just admiring his features for a moment - his ruby red eyes, the dark shades of his coat and the fascinating markings near his temples. Enjoying what she saw, she moved to place herself at his side, pressing her shoulder in to his and leaning against him affectionately. "I didn't realize I could ever feel this bloated," she whined, although there was a laugh hinting in her tone, "I wonder how many are in there... we're going to be overrun!" It was an amusing thought, picturing small versions of themselves prancing about, getting into everything and causing all sorts of trouble. If they were anything like herself when she was young, they were definitely going to have to work hard! The thought made her wonder what Steel had been like as a youngster; maybe if their pups were quiet like him, it wouldn't be so difficult. Either way, imagining what was to come brought her a sense of joy she couldn't describe, and her tail waved back and forth, gently tapping against Steel's hip. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Her words made his eyes sparkle joyfully, his tail batting lightly behind him, briefly flicking against the earth. He would certainly prefer if she laid around all day, though he knew asking for that was ridiculous. Esarosa wasn't generally the type to sit quietly - she liked excitement and adventure. Luckily, their adventures had calmed down considerably once they'd realized she was pregnant. He was terrified of her working herself to hard, or getting sick; with each day that passed, he wanted these children more than he ever could've imagined. "Do you think I would really expect that from you, of all wolves?" Steel quipped lightly, lovingly nuzzling her again in greeting.  "Though you better be taking it easy. Soon you will be exhausted, chasing puppies around all day, and you'll wonder whose idea this really was." His voice was gentle, but full of mirth - he knew he wouldn't regret starting a family with her, though neither of them really knew quite what they were getting into. Would they be totally in over their head? He was sure of it, but they'd figure it out together. His lips parted in a grin as she pressed into him, a sigh falling from his lips.  "I'm sure you could feel more bloated," he teased lightly.  "However many you have in there, surely their could be more. How many do you feel? Can you tell at all?" Steel knew it wasn't something she could tell right away, but maybe she had some kind of instinct about it? Leaning down, he'd press his snout to the side of her large belly, his grin growing.   "Hopefully not too many. You're right.. we may very well be overrun soon. I hope you enjoy sleep while you can still get some."

Her heart melted at the sight of his sparkling eyes, the joy so evident in them that she could almost feel it herself. It was so uncommon in him, that when his emotions really expressed through his eyes or body language, it was always a delightful surprise. She giggled as he teased her, nuzzling her again. She shook her head back and forth, eyeing him mischievously - of course she wasn't one to sit around, although it would be easy to admit that she had been laying around a lot more than usual lately. Another small giggle escaped her as he said she'd soon be exhausted chasing pups around all day, and would wonder whose idea this really was. Well, she'd only truly have herself to blame... not like he'd resisted her tempting offers. She licked his cheek playfully, her own sparkling emeralds meeting his. "Don't worry, I'm honestly not up and about too much," she assured him, "It's not very comfortable to move around like this... I've tried, but I just can't fight it." Her words ended with laughter. She certainly had no pity for herself, no matter how crappy she felt - after all she had wanted this. She groaned dramatically as he said she would probably feel more bloated. "No way, that can't be possible," she complained in a humorous manner, although she knew it very well could be. After all, she'd never expected to feel like this, and every day she felt like her discomfort was growing. When he asked if she could tell how many, she simply shook her head, her snout tilting downward, watching as he pressed his muzzle against the side of her belly. "I just feel a lot of movement," she said with a slight sigh, wishing she truly could tell how many were there, "But with so many little paws wiggling around, I can't tell how many.... maybe... maybe three, or four?" Really, it was impossible; sometimes they all seemed to move at once, other times only one or two would move. How was she to tell how many were there when they never seemed to move simultaneously? She nudged him with her shoulder teasingly as he said he hoped she still enjoyed her sleep while she could. "You too," she said with a wink, sticking out her tongue at him - there was no way she was going to let him get away with any sort of beauty sleep once the pups arrived. She expected to do the bulk of the care, all hours of the day, something only a mother could provide, but she knew she wasn't going to be alone in this. "Well, as long as we work as a team, there's now way they'll win," he said teasingly, wagging her tail, "In all seriousness, I'm sure we'll be fine." As long as they stuck together, and kept loving each other the way that they did, everything would be great. She wasn't sure how much love she would feel when the pups were finally born, but she would be in for a surprise, the amount of love that would explode in her heart when the time came. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel's heart was light, and full of joy. He remembered even now a day when he had been certain there was no happiness in store for him, not ever again. The world had looked so dark, and so bleak - that was, until he met her. Everything had changed then. His red eyes glimmered happily as she spoke, as his eyes followed her each step for a long moment.  She assured him she wasn't pushing herself too much, and he'd flash her a disbelieving look, merely being playful. "As long as you're not overdoing it," he'd offer lightly. He knew Esarosa wouldn't push herself so much that she risked her own health, or their children's, but that didn't stop him from bringing it up anyway as a gentle reminder.   "Though if I could bear some of the burden, I gladly would." His words were genuine; he hated seeing her uncomfortable, and badly wished he could ease some of her discomfort. He'd have to let her sleep awhile after the children were born so she could recoup some of her lost energy. Esarosa didn't seem to know how many pups she was carrying. Steel didn't know how it felt, though he seemed to want to try to figure it out. It was something they wouldn't know until they were born. The thought made his stomach twist in excited, nervous knots.   "Hopefully no more than four," he said with a snicker, though his tone was joking. He would be beyond happy with however many, but four sounded decent to him.. five, however, sounded a lot more demanding. Doable, though he figured he'd end up exhausted either way, in the best way possible. He chuckled as he pressed his snout against her belly again, nuzzling into her fur lightly. He found himself laughing again at the thought of how time-consuming this would be. It didn't deter him from it, though.. not that they could possibly go back on their decision now. It was terrifying to think that they were about to raise tiny, fragile children, but they could do anything together.   "I can't even wait." Grinning, he lifted his head to nuzzle her cheek, tail wagging in a wide arc behind him.

She nuzzled him as he fussed over her, even though the hint in his voice was playful. She knew he was worried, and he had every right to be. Besides, being worried and fussed over kind of felt nice, and she couldn't help but to bask in his concern over her and the pups. She murred gently when he said he would take some of the burden that she was carrying if only he could. She chuckled lightly as he commented, hoping it was no more than four. She had to agree, and she nodded as she leaned into him. "At least we're not the only ones with pups in Ivalice," she mused, remembering that there were many others in the pack. Perhaps if they felt overwhelmed, they could rely on help from the other parents, Avalon included. And certainly their pups could always play around with the older kids and make friends, to amuse themselves for at least part of the day to give their mom and dad a chance to rest and relax. Esarosa felt a pup kick out as Steel pressed his nose to her belly, and she laughed. "Did you feel that?" she asked, her tail wagging, "That one feels pretty feisty." She wondered what it looked like, what all of them looked like. Who would they resemble most? Or would each pup have a balanced blend of each of their traits? And what would they be like? She knew for certain that at least one of them was going to have a strong attitude. She smiled at him as he said he couldn't wait, and she moved her nose to press against his cheek, kissing him lovingly. How lucky was she, to have broken through the hardened walls of this man, to gain his endless affection and dedication? "I can't wait, either," she murmured in a soft tone, a dreamy expression upon her face, "I want to meet them, and cuddle them, and see them grow up and start running around." She wondered what interests they would find, what they would want to do as they grew, but that was thinking too far ahead. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the present moment, and do this with her love beside her. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel couldn't help but wonder how his family would see him now; what was left of it, anyway. He was sure his sister Ara was not far, perhaps still living with her wife and sons. The rest of them... they seemed to wander more often then not, though he knew they'd be happy for him just the same. Steel.. a father. The very thought sent his stomach tumbling again, with both excitement and anxiety.  "That's true,' he murmured, very glad that there were other pups in Ivalice. His own childhood had been a rather bleak one, and he wanted nothing of that for their own children. He wanted them to laugh and play and know nothing of hardship, for as long as possible. His eyes shone as he watched her, suddenly feeling tears well up in them - happy tears, of course - but he held them back as she spoke. He remembered the stories his mother and father had told him of their childhood. Their best memories had been living in a pack together, surrounded by those they loved and made memories with. Steel didn't have memories like that, not really, and he was determined to make sure their children did. He laughed when he felt her belly shift against his nose, full of delight.    "I did," he exclaimed gently. He'd been rather unsure at first - he knew he wanted this more than anything - but he'd been worried he would fail. As the days trickled down, he grew more excited and less nervous. They'd figure this out together, and whatever they needed help with.. they'd find somewhere in Ivalice, if it came down to it. His smile returned tenfold at her words, warmth fluttering in his chest at the thought of them being real. They seemed so far away still, despite feeling them moving in her belly. He pulled back, watching her lovingly. "It'll be that time before we know it," he whispered, nuzzling into the fur of her neck.