when you try your best but you don't succeed

Remus chuckled softly as Ike kissed his chin and he tipped his muzzle to nuzzle against her cheek. He liked to believe that she was strong enough and resilient enough to find her own way if he hadn't been a part of her life, but it was hard to say if that was true. He understood her reaction to the falling of her family's pack and how difficult it had been for her to realize she wasn't ready for the responsibility that had been set out for her and it was impossible to say what she might have done if he hadn't kept by her side. Luckily neither of them had to worry about that possibility and they could simply enjoy their lives together and figure out what their next steps would be from here.

As if reading his mind, Ike questioned what they were going to do. It was a question that had come up many times before in the time since they disappeared to recover on their own, but before now he had been too worried about Ike's mental state to suggest anything more than just loving and caring for one another. Just putting one paw in front of the other had been his whole goal as of late. But now that their heads were above water, now that Ike could see the light at the end of the tunnel, he wondered if they should be striving for more.

"I suppose that depends on what you want our future to look like," he mused thoughtfully as he shifted to slip his foreleg around her shoulders, pulling her slender frame into his chest. "We could find somewhere quiet to settle down on our own and continue to live quietly like this for the rest of our lives. We could try to find some of your family here in Boreas and reunite with them to pick back up where we left off. We could pick an entirely different pack to settle into and start fresh. We could even leave Boreas entirely and try to find some of my family back in my homeland." He gave her a little smile and dipped his head to catch her lips with his. "Whatever path feels right to you I'll be right there beside you."

"Remus Armada"