You Feel Like Home
Solveiga felt her cheeks get warm whenever Regulus looked down at her. And here she was, thinking she had changed and turned into this brave and confident woman. But maybe not. Maybe around Regulus she would always be a little shy and nervous. She just wished she could understand why. Then maybe she could fix it. Then maybe she could impress him by being all bold and witty and adventurous, like she'd always wanted to be.
She sighed a bit. For now, she was just going to have to be herself. After all, Regulus seemed to like Solveiga the way she was. But she was in no way his equal, and she never would be. Regulus was practically a god among mortals, with his stature and his easy but commanding demeanor. Not to mention that crazy, amazing red fur. But she was getting distracted again. Oh my. What did he just say?
Solveiga blinked a bit and thought back to the words she had just missed while lost in the thoughts of her silly little head. The loss of his mother. It wasn't her fault. She frowned a bit and nudged the side of his neck with her nose, a friendly and comforting gesture. "I know it isn't. But I'm still sorry." Her voice was soft and empathetic. They both knew the pain of losing a mother. But then he told her how Kavdaya wasn't taking the death well. She had stepped down, leaving Regulus as the only member of Celestial with a high rank. Right, Faite was gone too. Solveiga had run into her on her way back to Celestial.
Her brow creased with concern as she looked up at her friend. He had so much weight on his shoulders. She wanted to help, she just wasn't sure how. "Wow," she whispered, looking away, to the grasses underfoot. "You have a lot going on right now, don't you?"
She slowed her steps, hoping to get his attention so he would slow down too. She wanted to say something, while they were still alone. She was nervous. Why on earth was she nervous? "I know you're really busy right now, Regulus, with everything. The pack is your priority, I know that. But..." Deep breath. Keep going. There was no turning back now, she just needed to spit it out, even if she embarrassed herself. "You're the closest thing I have to family. When we first met, I was lost, and you gave me a home. When I lost my mother, I was lost again, and you reminded me that I wasn't alone," she said, her voice growing more and more confident as she spoke. If she was going to show Regulus the confidence and strength she had gained, now was the time. She had a lot to say. "What I'm saying is, it was good for me to get away for a while. To have some time to think, but... I missed you. And everyone else, but mostly you. So... I know you're busy, but I'd really like if we could spend more time together, now that I'm back. Maybe go exploring sometime, or I could help with your patrols..."
She ended her little spiel with a bashful shrug, and a smile to match. Her heart felt like it was going to break through her ribs. But she was glad the words were out. She felt close to Regulus, and wanted to spend time with him. He deserved to know that, didn't he? |
