Hazy Shade of Winter

Uncertainty gripped her, held her captive and put a hand over her mouth to silence anything she might say until he finished his first few words. His words weren't as sharp, and just... didn't look as spiteful as he had that first time they reunited, if you could call their little interaction a true reunion. Her eyes would narrow ever so slightly. From what? Mistrust? Nervousness? She didn't know, but she didn't have to know why she did it to continue hesitating, ears would move to the sides a few degrees as she tried to decipher what was going on below the surface.

His next words surprisingly enough would cause her to relax, to look more steadily at him. He couldn't really believe that? That this... whatever this was, counted as dealing with things. Caelum couldn't believe that, though something told her maybe he didn't either. Just a hunch. She didn't want to be mad at him, hated it actually. Speaking to him with such fury drained her, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth and a feeling she could only describe as homesickness. Wanting to return to what used to be a place of safety and a refuge. Wanting even to return to him, the old him. The closeness only made it that much worse, it took all her self control to not grab the larger wolf by the scruff and drag him down to snuggle up with her like she used to. His fur looked soft and snuggly as it ever had. Again her heart throbbed painfully in her chest, just below the dark patch of fur. The quiet fell between them, thicker and more palpable even than the fog.

More words, spoken through gritted teeth in a voice that made her chest tighten and her eyes soften. How was she still standing anymore? Cae found herself wanting to take some of it back, anything to make him look less... broken. Hearing her name on his lips was like ambrosia for the ears, so sweet she closed her eyes for a moment to appreciate it. Opening them again she watched him move, felt their noses touch and sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide. She felt like a kid again, like the young girl who had fallen for the devilishly handsome man with the toothy grin and a wit sharper than  porcupines quills. She was falling deep into nostalgia, lost in it's embrace. And she never wanted to leave.

Slowly her lips parted, mouth slightly opened while she thought of what to say, all the fire having left her and now replaced with stillness that rivaled that of the motionless plants that surrounded them. One tear. Two. Three. After that several more escaped though she did not lose her statuesque composure. Her cheeks felt hot when she murmured, "I know. I have too. I wish... I wish you'd trust me enough to tell me more. I know I haven't really... been alone but, I felt so lonely." There were no sniffles, no shuddering breaths or trembling legs. Just Caelum, looking for something but not knowing what. Was it him?

Despite so much time passing, she still hadn't gotten to really talk to him. Maybe now... She'd let everything else drop, leave it all for another day and maybe they could just talk. Until now she had only had Inverno's company, which she very much enjoyed, but she wasn't sure it was what her heart was craving, hungering for even when she didn't know it. Could this be it? He asked a question but she didn't really hear it at first, she was too busy slowly moving again, sidestepping and moving around so they would stand side by side, all without letting their noses cease contact until the last possible second. For a moment they were apart entirely, not a single hair making contact. Then without a word she would move to lean into him. The why didn't really matter to her anymore, it was instinct now. Her body was drained from this emotional roller-coaster she'd been up and down in the span of only a few minutes and now she sought contact. Frigged eyes fluttered closed for several seconds. Couldn't they just stay like this forever?

Finally she would rise, breaking the contact and moving back towards the middle of the clearing, ivory tail flicking in a manner that beckoned Zephyr to follow. She lay, letting her body collapse onto the cold ground and looked up at him, "Now? Now you will come here and you will talk to me because I need you to."