Even the best laid plans

Deimos was able to relax a bit more as Ikigai pressed into him and assured him that she was alright while he warmed up her toes. He would prefer if she wasn't cold and tired either, but those were things that were easily remedied. If there was something worse going on he wasn't sure what he'd be able to do for her other than just carrying her back to Elysium. As she began to squirm her way under his foreleg, she made a grin cross his lips with an amused chuckle, his expression softening as he lifted his leg enough for her to press into his chest, his forelegs slipping around her to pull her tighter into an affectionate embrace. One of his paws drifted to the edge of her cape, pulling the warm fur to keep it tucked around her as she cuddled into his chest, being sure to keep her surrounded in warmth as much as possible until she was fully warmed up again. He didn't have many things in this life that he had ever truly cared about or wanted to take care of, but with this litter Ikigai had cemented a place in his life as both of those things and he would do anything to make sure she was comfortable and happy.

With his large paws running up and down her back over top of her cloak as he continued to try and warm her, he felt her own paws slip up around his neck, drawing his gaze down to hers with a smirk. The transformation she had gone through since the day that they had first moved into their den together was still astounding to him and he still enjoyed seeing how much she had come into her own and how much more free she was with her affections. In a similar way, though, she had brought out a more gentle side to him that he hadn't originally thought possible. He had never been one to be a gentle or tender lover–finding more enjoyment in rough and more passionate moments with his lovers–and yet it came naturally with her. The lick she placed on his chin made him grin once again and he dipped his muzzle to press a kiss to the top of her head between her small horns. "No need to thank me, darling. I'm happy to make it happen for you. I'm sure your mother will be excited to hear that she's going to be a grandmother and even more excited just to see you again."

His paw trailed up to gently cup her head and pulled her into his chest, tucking his head down over hers as he surrounded her in comfort and warmth, nuzzling her cheek lovingly. "Why don't you get some rest? We have plenty of time and we can go at whatever pace you need. We can rest up here for a while and when you're ready we can keep going."

"Deimos & Ikigai"