Baby Steps

The panic rising up in Satira’s chest felt like a claw tearing through her lungs to grip at her heart like a vise, her nerves tightening, her vision beginning to swim as the combination of the drugs and her rising panic attack started to overwhelm her. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her, not with Cináed! He had been her rock, her foundation, her constant these past couple of years and now he was trying to change everything up! How dare he! Everything was just fine the way it was! Tira had never felt such a confounding and scary whirlwind of emotions tearing up her turbulent heart. Why were things changing like this again after she’d finally found some sort of normalcy?! Now she was going to lose Ciná too and she’d be all alone again, but this time she’d truly be alone. Her mother had her own family now. Her father had his own family now. Her brother was starting a life with his girlfriend. And Tira? She’d just be left behind and forgotten.

On the verge of a full on panic attack, the hyperventilating little wolf-dog suddenly found herself being scooped up in the tight embrace of Cináed’s strong forelegs, holding her trembling body against his. The combination of panic and her beginning drug trip was a hell of a thing and poor Tira was spiraling. She heaved a few unsteady breaths to try and ground herself, tears stinging at her eyes while the giant dire wolf embracing her kept her cradled to his body. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to yell and scream at him for doing this to her. All she could manage to do however was smack weakly at his chest with tiny paws a few times before she just crumbled inward, clinging to his fur for dear life while she broke down into sobs, hot tears cutting down her face as she faced the prospect of losing another wolf that mattered to her.

For a while they stayed like that until Satira had managed to calm herself down enough to actually get a breath in again, her little body trembling with the mental and physical exertion. Being tucked up into his chest with his head covering hers was a comfort, like a giant weighted blanket soothing away all her fears. No words were exchanged, but none needed to be said. Ciná said all he needed to with the gentle kisses and nuzzles he covered her forehead and ears with. The soft touch of paw pads met her cheek and lifted her muzzle with gentle insistence until their gazes met, Tira’s blurry and glistening with tears while Ciná reassured her that he was never going to leave her, that he didn’t care about any of her perceived flaws, and that she was worth being loved. Tira’s chest tightened as she hiccuped through a few stuttering breaths while Ciná laid bare his soul to her. Every gruesome detail of how his family had fucked him up and how hopelessly attached to her he was now. It was sweet and romantic in its own sort of way, a very Ciná kind of way, and Tira loved it.

Satira sniffled back a fresh wave of tears as a nervous excitement and happiness blossomed in her chest while she stared up into those hypnotic golden eyes while Cináed pledged his love to her again and swore that she was what he wanted her future to be. A sound caught between a laugh and a sputter left the wolf-dog and she smiled up at the handsome face of her brute like she was seeing him for the first time all over again. Hearing the commitment and conviction in his voice felt like a security blanket being wrapped around her, swaddling her away from all her heartache and worries. They still had a long way to go before either of them was truly better—and maybe they never would be totally better. But as long as she had Ciná, Tira knew she wasn’t alone anymore, and she never would be again.

Amidst this blissful euphoric feeling, the pleasant high she had been waiting on came rolling in, and before she knew it, every part of Tira's body felt light and floaty, every nerve sensitive and heightened and buzzing with warmth. A small speckled paw reached up from his chest to caress his cheek, then the second, and as Satira held Cináed's face in her paws, she lifted her muzzle up while guiding his down until their lips met, locking the pair of wolves in a slow yet deeply passionate kiss that she held onto for several long, amazing moments. When their lips eventually parted, Tira didn't pull away from him, instead looking into Ciná's eyes as she stroked his cheeks and giggled. "I love you too, Cináed. And now I want you to kiss me and show me how much you love me." Gods, how badly did she want him to love her senseless here on this beach right now!

"Cináed & Satira"