Hide It All

Arcturus settled into his den for the night with a sigh, stretching out on his side as he settled into the furs. Sleeping in the den alone was something he was still getting used to, but now that he was fully an adult he felt like it was something he should start adjusting to. Besides, it felt odd to be sharing a den with his mother and uncle when they were raising a kid together as well and his sister was already far more independent than he had been. He knew it was simply time for him to make his own space, but after living so closely with his family for so long it was taking some adjustment to do it. Honestly, the thing that motivated him the most was Vanille. He wanted to be there and be available for her as much as he could be in this difficult, tumultuous time in her life and having his own space made it easier to do that. He also secretly hoped that at some point she might want to share a home with him and he had started fixing up this large den near the top of the falls to do just that, just on the off chance that she made that choice. He wasn't going to push her on it, respecting her desire to continue having her own space, but the invitation was certainly open.

Arcturus hadn't been asleep for very long when he suddenly felt something press against him and felt something slip around his neck, the sensation pulling him awake and making him blink open his eyes groggily. One large paw shifted to his chest and instead he found Vanille's soft her as his paw rested on her back, his head tipping down to look at her form where it was partially hidden in the thick fluff of his mane. He blinked with surprise as his sleep-hazed brain slowly caught up with the present and realized what was happening and after a moment his forelegs wrapped around her, squeezing her close without question of what she was doing here or why. She didn't need a reason as far as he was concerned. If she wanted to be here with him then he was happy to be there for her. He lowered his head, craning his neck a bit to be able to nuzzle the back of her neck while his paws gently rubbed up and down her back. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, giving the top of her head—or at least what he could reach of it—a gentle kiss.

"Arc & Vanille"