Ghh. Ghhhhh. Oh, good grief. She hated this so much. It put her in such a bad mood! Not to mention it hurt so bad. Arivae was curled up in her tiny den, her tail flopped over her nose and her limbs squeezed into her belly. Small, distressed whines and whimpers fought themselves out of her as she tried to ease the pain that exploded from her stomach, but to no avail. She even tried squirming around a bit, maybe to shake up whatever was going on in this tiny body of hers. But just like squeezing herself into a tight ball, it had failed to work.
The only solution she had to this was a nap. And nap she did. After a while of thrashing and squirming and panting like she was giving birth, she fell asleep in the back of her den. There was no telling what she could be dreaming about...she was just happy she was passed out, even though she had already napped for about three hours beforehand. Her den and the area around it grew still and quiet, with the only sound being her tiny, short breathes. At a time like this, she could use some big fluffy blue love. Even if she was asleep, being close to him had to help her mental state about all of this.
After the meeting Leo had called he had gone looking for Arivae and he was relieved to find her sick in the den. Worried, but relieved. He had been checking on her pretty frequently since then and he had finally decided that whatever she had wasn't contagious since he still wasn't sick and she was. He held a delicate flower carefully between his jaws as he trotted toward the den she had been holed up in for a while now. It was bright yellow and small, but it was the prettiest one he could find in the still fairly muddy mangroves so he hoped it would make her feel a little better.
He poked his head into the den and squinted to see her dark form curled up tightly at the back of the shadowy den. He was glad that she was getting some rest at least. He felt so bad for her since she had been sick for so long now and he didn't know how to help her. He wondered if maybe he should leave her be, but he figured if nothing else he could leave her flower for her. He squeezed through the entrance of her den and quietly stepped over to her, placing the flower near her nose. He started to back out of the den again, but the more he looked at her sleeping the more he just wanted to stay. He smiled a little and settled himself on his stomach. He rested his head on his front paws, his nose maybe a foot or so from hers with the little gift he had brought for her resting between them. He watched her sleep with a little smile on his lips, content to lay here as long as she kept sleeping.
It was only until Tiburtius lowered down onto his belly that she was roused awake. Usually she was able to detect the slightest noise outside of her den, but being ill had anchored her into a state of exhaustion that kept her from hearing the small things. Even the flower had gone unnoticed until she forced her eyes open.
Arivae tipped her head back and let out a small yawn, her ears pinning against her head and her jaws splitting open. Now she wouldn't have done this in front of Tiburtius if she had known he was sitting right there. Her mouth probably wasn't as pretty as her face. A small whine-like noise left her, followed by a rather upset sigh as she finished her yawn. She didn't want to be awake unless Leo needed her to babysit his kids. Or if another meeting was being called. She'd sprint there if she had to! But instead, sitting before her was her massive best friend, who she was more than happy to see.
She had almost forgotten about him in the midst of being sick and worried about pack things. Arivae smiled and scooted forward enough so she could reach him. Of course she tried to avoid the flower, but she wanted to be as close to Tiburtius as possible. Even if she was worried she'd get him sick, she wanted to feel him close to her so bad. It had been so long, after all. "You don't know how happy I am to see you." She whispered, the tip of her tail wiggling gently. She leaned forward and kissed his nose, before stretching a paw out and bringing his gift to her chest. The girl admired it silently. It was small and yellow, but she loved it to death. She nuzzled it like it was her child and looked back up at Tiburtius with a grateful smile.
Soon after he laid down she stirred from her sleep and her jaws stretched wide in a yawn. He grinned as he watched her. Everything she did was so absolutely adorable. He just wanted to snuggle and hug her all the time. Her eyes met his and his smile grew wider. He loved her eyes. He chuckled softly as she wiggled forward to be closer to him, leaning over to return the little kiss that she gave him back to her nose. "I'm just as happy to see you, pretty girl," he replied quietly. He'd let her take the little gift he brought and admire it all she wanted while he continued to admire her in a similar way.
When she gave him a grateful smile his tail thumped happily against the ground behind him while he gave her a pleased smile in return. All he had really wanted was to make his favorite wolf smile and he had succeeded. He inched a bit closer till he was close enough that he could easily nuzzle her scruff and kiss her forehead. "Are you feeling any better? Is there anything I can go get for you?" he'd ask. The smile wouldn't leave his face, but he had always been bad at hiding emotions in his eyes. They clearly showed his concern as he looked her over, wishing to himself that he had listened better when Ama tried to teach him and his brothers things about the herbs she was always collecting and training over.
Pretty girl. She was used to the kisses and physical part of their relationship, but compliments? Not yet. Her face burned a little, the sensation soon spreading through her small body as he moved forward and nuzzled her scruff. She had never quite thought of herself as pretty. Maybe small and scrawny, but never really...attractive. Either way she was happy as long as Tiburtius was. She wanted to be everything he hoped for, after all. He made her happy....so as long as she could return the favor, she was okay.
He kissed her forehead and she laughed silently. They seemed to be getting closer anyway...so she moved forward until she could reach his neck, nuzzling into it gently. He was so fluffy and soft and warm. She could totally sink into him like he was a pile of cotton. If only she was that soft. He'd probably enjoy cuddling her a whole lot more than she did. "You're all I need." She responded with a crooked smile, kissing his cheek ever so lightly and then returning to the gentle nuzzles down his neck. She didn't need anything else. Having him here was enough. "How are your mothers doing?" She was truly curious, even if she did just want him to herself to cuddle and love. Amalia and Athena's well-being mattered to her, too.
A grin tugged at his lips and he felt his face get warm at her sweet comment and her nuzzles and little lick. He wondered if there would ever be a day when all these affections and things would be so normal that he wouldn't feel this fluttery feeling when he got them. He wished he could just cuddle into a ball with her and just let her sleep the day away while he kept watch. Well, she'd probably let him do that, but they hadn't spoken in so long so he wanted to do that first. She seemed to want to talk a little too since she asked about his mothers so he was glad. "They're... doing better. I think," he replied, his expression thoughtful and a bit unsure. "I think having Diana and Jayne there now has really helped cheer them up. Of course they'll never replace my brothers, but they keep them occupied and gives them someone to love on. They really just love having pups around." He chuckled at that. He knew Amalia especially really loved pups. "Are pups always so... tiny?" he asked, genuinely mystified by it. "They were like the size of my paw! What if I step on one of them or something!" His ears flicked back and he frowned. He knew it was probably a ridiculous thought to worry about, but it was a very real thought he had when he saw how little his newborn sisters were.
A crooked smile graced Arivae's lips. She admittedly loved seeing him worked up like this. Especially when it came to his size or his effect on the ones he loved. It made her giddy inside, knowing that he cared so much about his family and friends. She was also quite happy to hear that his mothers were fairing well. They had been going through some rough times lately, with a majority of their kids disappearing on them and other situations she was oblivious to, but their new pups seemed to distract them. At least, according to Tiburtius. But she believed him. Pups were hard to ignore, especially when they were your own. Speaking of those two lovely girls, she hadn't visited them yet. It was definitely on her list of things to do after she recovered from the illness that had plagued her.
But his concerned words made her laugh a bit. It was throaty and weak, but she laughed, and that was something she hadn't done in quite a while. Tiburtius made her smile and laugh at the darkest of times. Even when he, himself, was upset. He had the ability to make her heart drum rapidly in her chest. Arivae drew her nose close to his face and kissed his cheek as both a friendly and reassuring gesture. Well, not friendly. More like, "You're mine, so let me love all over you" kind of gesture. If only she could right now. It'd be a little weird asking him herself...she'd much rather have him do it on her own. Read her mind or...something. Even if he could right now wasn't the time. It was family talk. Then snuggles. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Pups are full of energy. I don't think they'd let themselves stay still long enough for you to step on them." She hummed in reply, her blue eyes beaming with amusement and excitement.
Out of the blue, Arivae crawled toward her big blue partner, settling down beside him and leaning against him. She shut her wide blue eyes and kissed into his fluffy neck silently. She was content with staying like this forever, really. She would if she could. She would if she didn't have a part to play in the pack, or family to check on, or a body to take care of. But it was alright. She would treasure every moment with him, even if they didn't include any sweet, romantic stuff.
