What's the prognosis, doc?

A frown creased his expression when she insisted that she could suffer though the hurt. He didn't want her to have to suffer for anything - much less for him. He was the very last wolf in Auster or Boreas that anyone should have to feel any sort of pain to be with. However, he also had to recognize the fact that until Azariah's fate came to light then he was going to risk hurting anyone he was with. So then his choice became forcing himself to be alone and not form any ties to anyone else until that day came - which could very well be never if the truth of her disappearance always remained a mystery - or he risk hurting her in order to be happy. It felt entirely wrong in his self sacrificing mind to chose being with someone else, but he also knew that's what he needed. How he felt with her the night before emphasized that fact pretty clearly.

When Aranea spoke of how they understood each other and seeing things from her own situation in his, wanting to help him even though no one was there for her... They were all things that resonated with him, things that he could feel and hadn't been able to put into words. It was how they were able to speak so easily with one another and he didn't feel like he needed to hide any of his emotions from her because he felt like she would understand. At this point in his life, understanding was all he could really ask for. He couldn't predict the future or what difficult choices he might have to make eventually, but then he had to ask himself - did he want that to hold him back from living?

He was quiet for a moment after she finished giving her reasoning, letting himself think over his decision one last time before he responded since he knew that from this point on there was no turning back. It would be one thing to break things off now while there was only one mess to contend with. It was a whole different thing to follow this path only to change his mind days or weeks from now. But he knew what he wanted, he just had to allow himself to have it and be prepared for the consequences that might come in the future. As much as she wanted to help him, he wanted to help her as well. No one deserved to be alone and if he could be there for her and help support her to help her flourish then... maybe it was worth the risk.

He finally let himself lean forward and press a gentle kiss to her muzzle, silently giving her his answer. Their lives had crossed paths for a reason and even if he didn't fully understand that reason yet, he didn't feel like he could be one to disagree with fate. Once their lips parted, he let go of her paw so that he could reach one large foreleg around her, hooking her around her side and easily pulling her small form into him. Of course he was careful not to move his injured leg too much, but after all of this heart ache and pain he just wanted to be close to this woman that he was quickly becoming his main source of sanity and relief in all of this. He knew she deserved so much better than he could offer her, but he was willing to give her what he could for as long as she desired him.

Ulric shifted to lay more on his side so he could hold her against his chest with her back against him, spooning her as he nuzzled his face into her neck with a heavy sigh. The tension immediately fell from his shoulders as he held her tight and pushed away all of the trepidation he held against their time together. "Let me help you too," he whispered to her against her skin, squeezing her gently in his embrace. "This healing doesn't need to be one sided... The only reason you understand what I'm going through is because you're hurting too."

Walk | "Talk" | think