Don't Look Through The Curtains

He still held on to Duchess as they laid there in the afterglow, his paws gently rubbing up and down along her back. He couldn't really decipher how she was feeling, if he had helped, if he had made matters worse. He only ever wanted to make others feel better or to at least enjoy their time with him, but he knew that there were some wounds you just couldn't fix or that you simply couldn't soothe with affections. Eventually she lifted her head from his chest and he looked down at her, concern and sympathy pulling his brows together when he saw the tears in her two-toned eyes. He listened as she explained how she was feeling, telling him that she felt empty. Every time. Not just with him, but every time she indulged in this. His ears folded back and he squeezed her in a tender embrace, leaning his head down to catch her as she tried to look away from him, gently kissing away the tears under her eyes and bringing a paw up to rub the back of her neck.

"You can let it out," he told her softly, kissing the top of her head. He could see her trying to hold it in, trying to restrain herself. "I won't breathe a word of any of this to anyone if you don't want me to. You're safe." He gently tucked his head down over hers, pulling her into his chest and giving her another squeeze. He was quiet for a little while, considering things and letting her have this moment to just let out any pent up emotions or calm herself, whatever she felt like doing. He wasn't going to try and dictate her emotions or try to make her feel a certain way. Her feelings were valid, whatever they were, and he'd just hold her and let her feel them if that's what it took.

"You know..." he said softly after a while, giving her forehead another gentle kiss, "After... After all the stuff I went through, I slept with anyone and everyone, strangers, wolves that wanted to just use me... It didn't really matter to me at the time because I thought nothing could hurt more than what I had already gone though. That was how I coped. But everyone copes differently. Maybe a physical attraction or just trying to feel something isn't going to work for you. Maybe you need a real love or emotional connection to really enjoy it. But it's also just okay to experience things and let yourself grieve and heal and all of those things at whatever your own pace is." He smiled softly down at her, hoping he was making any kind of sense or easing her worries even a little bit.

Segin Epsilon