I Feel It Everyday

There was no hesitation in returning her kiss as she leaned up toward him to catch his lips with hers, not that there ever was. He had been slower in his advances than perhaps some other males would have been in their situation, but he had never been shy about holding and snuggling Vanille or sharing many a passionate kiss with her. He loved all of their affections and he was no different from any other young male in his instincts and desires, but he and still somehow managed to take things slow, even after they moved in together. He had never really thought about why that was or what was keeping him from pushing for more–not at least until Vanille broke their kiss and their eyes met again, her words almost mirroring his thoughts as she questioned him about taking them further.

There was a few ways he could have taken that question, but he knew exactly what she meant. "Of course I have," he replied easily, giving her a shy grin while his paws rubbed along her lower back. "I've thought about it since that night we kissed by the lake. But I... I care about you a lot. I wanted to make sure I was doing this right for you and giving you a good relationship. I didn't want you to think this was all just because I'm attracted to you. I'm not sure if I really even know what that's supposed to look like, but I hope I'm doing okay." His ears flicked back bashfully as he spoke, giving her a gentle squeeze around her sides while he held her tight to him and leaning his muzzle down to hers for a softer, shorter kiss.

There was a moment of hesitation before he told her more softly and with a bit less certainty, "My sisters and I all have different fathers... And I'm sure my mom loved all of those men in one way or another, but... I've never wanted that. I know there's like... ways to prevent that from happening and all that, but I just guess I was afraid of accidentally bringing pups into the world before I was really sure about who I wanted to spend my whole life with." He knew he could talk about anything with Vanille, but there were some things that he still had a hard time admitting even to himself and this was one of those things. Any time he was reminded of his father or his scattered, broken family it was difficult, but it was worth it to share this part of himself with her and help him explain why she was so important to him. A little smile pulled at his lips as he added, "But I've found that with you. I can't imagine being with anyone else. I'm not saying we're ready to be parents or anything, but... if it happened, I'd be excited to have a family with you."

"Arc & Vanille"