Walk | Talk | Think Callisto stood outside the earthen den, sifting through the plants she had gathered and placed inside the little depression beside it. She would have preferred they be kept fully inside the structure, where the coolness would keep them longer than they would keep out in the open, but with Jakart still requiring moments of rest and slumber it was simply unfeasible. If she needed them in a pinch, they would have been inaccessible to her, and so this was, for the time being, the compromise that had been established. It was not for Jakart now that she searched for plants - at present, he was tucked away very comfortably inside that den, resting while he still had a moment to. She searched for something to treat the wound on her scruff, assuming Belladonna delivered a less than hoped for verdict when she enlisted the little black cat's assistance with it again. Trillum. There it was. Taking a couple stalks of the flower, she carried it a short distance away from the den and stopped. "Belladonna," she called out quietly, mindful of the wolf slumbering behind her. The cat was not far - in fact, she had been staying very close recently - and immediately dropped into sight from one of the trees to hurry toward her. "Can you look at my scruff again?" The little cat gave a wry smile and nodded her head. "Well, get down here then." Without further prompting, Calli lowered herself to her stomach and tipped her chin downward as the cat carefully, mindful of her claws, crawled up onto her back and sat to begin her inspection. "Not too bad actually," she remarked softly, gently maneuvering her the fur out of the way with one forepaw so she could get a decent look. "Not red. Looks like you're safe from infection. Let me see that plant." It was almost routine by now, and after the black and grey healer passed up the flower, which Bella held carefully with one paw, she tore at the flower and chewed it a little before applying it to the healing wound. It was not the cat's most favorite of pastimes, and she made faces as she went, but she had seen the effects for herself; it was definitely a useful trick. Nearing the end of applying the trillium, Bella dared to venture into a new conversation as she absently smoothed out the lumpy paste she had made across the bite wound. "How's your boyfriend healing?" The casual statement brought with it its usual accompaniment of irritation and frustration, but there was no use in commenting. Every other time she tried, the black cat merely brushed it off, and she had every certainty she would only do the same now. "He's fine," Callisto answered gruffly, chin still tilted downward as she tried to keep herself from turning to scowl at the cat, though her ears turned and folded irritably against her head. "He can get up and move around now without hurting himself. Should be ready to head back soon." She was actually eager to get back; their vacation had extended far longer than she had anticipated. "You shouldn't have brought him." The blunt, carelessly direct statement caused the healer to blink in surprise and turn her head to stare as well as she could over her shoulder at the cat seated upon her back. "What?" "If you were done with him before we left," Bella explained, leaping cleanly down from her mistress's back once she was sure she had covered enough of the wound, "then you shouldn't have brought him along. He could have stayed back with his feelings and been spared the flood fiasco." It would have made for a very quiet trip too since Calli never seemed to want to talk to her, but Belladonna was still convinced that leading on the grey male was the wrong thing to do. Though it was not directly stated, Callisto understood the accusation her companion was making against her, and like before she was not at all happy about it. Her angular face stiffened, soured, as she stared at the cat, rising to a seated position. "Look, he could have left at any time," the black and grey wolf countered lowly, ready to go on, but, as seemed to be her habit, the cat cut her off. "But you didn't tell him to leave." Bella's tail twitched and flicked at her side, irritation evident as well as challenge. "You should have. You told me yourself you thought he was getting too attached, so keeping him away would have been the clearest option. But you kept him around. He didn't deserve what happened to him, and I think you know that. If you'd just told him to go, he wouldn't have been nearly killed, and--" "Shut up, cat." "No," Bella shot back defiantly, ears settling back against her head while her tail gave another wild swing at her side, "You're being selfish toying with him, and I--" It was Callistos' turn to cut off her companion, her voice rising with temper. "Alright, you know what? Fine. Fine. It's all my fault. I'm a selfish bitch who keeps around a guy that she's made clear she doesn't want, but that she'll screw whenever it's convenient, and even when it's not." Of course, Bella had made no mention of that fact, but Calli was too charged to give it much thought as she hurried on. "And yeah, he's a good guy, he could do so much better. I shouldn't have led him on. But he's not leaving. He could whenever he wants but he hasn't, and I want him here so I'm not gonna send him away. I'll keep him for as long as I can because, damn it, he's the luckiest fucking thing to ever happen to me, and I don't want to lose that." Bella stared, dumbfounded and absolutely silent. There it was. There was the reason her mistress had reacted as she had when they had found the grey wolf half dead from the flood, why she had been so protective and snippy since beginning to treat his wounds. The little cat had suspected it all along but...she was still no less surprised to hear it said aloud. "So that's it," she muttered, fighting very hard not to smirk, "It's not him you've been worried about. It's you." With a lip-curling snarl, Callisto lunged. Anger clouded her judgment, obliterating all thought except that she could not stand to listen to the cat talk a moment longer and needed her gone now. She snapped, but the cat was too quick. With an answering hiss of her own, Bella leaped away from her mistress and took off at a sprint, intent upon finding a hiding place somewhere away from the angry wolf. Standing bristled in the spot where the cat had been, still growling low beneath her breath, Callisto breathed in quickly, temper flared. Damn that cat, she thought, visibly beginning to deflate as her breaths began to come in slower and her silver-blue eyes closed with painful realization. And damn her for being right.

Try as he might and no matter now much he found himself sleeping on order from Callisto, Jakart couldn't find himself back with Tahlia to tell his mother that he was ok. For the first few days since arriving in the garden Jakart was uncertain if he was with illness due to the floodwaters or if by some miracle he had been spared by a hearty immune system. For a day he had been fine, settling back into the den with a just the ache of his wounds to tend to, but overnight he had come down with a fever. Chills made his body shiver uncontrollably even as he burned with sickness, speaking in incoherent mumbles as he tossed and turned to get comfortable. He would like to think that Callisto treated him during the weeks length of time where he huddled near death. Jakart barely remembered any of it. Not the soaked moss he drank from or the meat he could barely hold down as his wounds burned and throbbed alongside his pounding head. That ended in the early hours of this morning. Already he could see the flesh on his shoulder was darkening as it knit back together with but a glance from a once swollen eye. Jakart gave a wide yawn and tucked his paws underneath his chin with a sidelong glance given at the dens entrance. Callisto and Belladonna were close by, although he was told by the healer a few moments ago to rest Jakart's mind wandered to his friend's well being. The she wolf by all accounts appeared to be fine even after dealing with a sickly and wounded friend. Perhaps she had been relieved to finally test her craft? Was that how she found her place in the world? Maybe he would ask later. The voices outside the den were at first calm and quiet, not that Jakart was paying attention to any of it, 'doctors orders' were trying to be followed. Definitely didn't want to get sick again, drink more bad water or ingest mud and debris. A prelude to an argument was heard, the males ears instantly pinning back as Belladonna poked Callisto just the right way and sent the she wolf off. To be honest he didn't think that this yelling match would be any different from previous overheard spats. But as Callisto went on and on the Jakart pinned his ears and let out a whine with each anxious breath. She was talking about him? Talking about how the female allowed him to stay around and be with her company without being told off. Jakart listened wholly to the tirade happening outside and struggled to his paws at the sound of a snarl. Oh no. Bella must've really hit a mark with this one. The words of Callisto's rant played over and over in his head as he quickly lumbered out of the den. "Callisto," Damn, he felt out of breath from the den's incline and the rest of the words tried to come out past his muzzle. He was frantic and desperate to calm the situation and defuse the tension between the two females. More if she was alright or if Bella needed a hand with, but no. A part of Jakart needed to know just why she felt the need to tolerate him even after the beneficial side of their relationship was over and done. Just why did she allow him to be so close when she showed everyone else a standoffish persona? "is... was all that true about why you let me stay?" Did she really mean all that? "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think Anger still sizzled beneath her skin and made her tail lash to either side in clear frustration. Why, why, did that damn cat need to bring this up? Did she think Callisto was stupid enough not to have considered it herself? That everything could have been avoided if she had only left Jakart behind? It would have spared her the heartache as well, the roller coaster of emotions from believing him dead to finding him alive. It could have all been avoided, the thought echoed in Bella’s persistent, aggravating voice, and Calli breathed another heavy sigh. She hated that it was true, but hated more that she had been helpless but to react to it all despite her logic. She needed no one, she could get by on her own without anyone there getting in the way. But you can’t let him go. As tense and frazzled as she already was, the sound of the all too familiar voice unexpectedly speaking her name behind her caused her to visibly jump, forgetting in the midst of her heated argument that the very individual they spoke of was right there with them. "Shit," Callisto whispered, her voice heavy with frustration and panic. Gods, did he have to be right there to hear everything? Had he heard everything? Of course he did, you're cursed, she concluded, closing her eyes as she steeled herself, with your shitty luck, he heard every word. She turned quickly, searching Jakart's expression to see if she could gather how much of her tirade he had heard, but even just a quick look confirmed for her that he had heard too much. Damn it! Her tail lashed again, caught somewhere between an angry and nervous gesture, and the tenseness in her frame suddenly became jittery. She did not want to be here. She did not want to be having this conversation with him, did not want to even entertain the idea of expressing the confusion that was so overwhelming she could barely stand living with it. She wanted to run, to flee - she was sure she could outrun him in his current state - but in the end aggravation won out. Clinging to her anger like a lifeline, she set her sharp features into a scathing frown and paced slightly to either side, unable to stand still. The question he posed was simple, yes or no, but Callisto could not at first answer. She wanted very much to deny it, to try and somehow play it off like she had not meant a word she said, no matter her reaction to Belladonna or how she was currently behaving. But he would not believe it, there was no point in kidding herself that he might. "You want to know? Fine. It's true," she snapped, exasperated, "There, you happy, Jak? It's all true. Every fucking word." How was she having this conversation with him? How was she standing here, confusing, complicated emotions exposed, and not running? She wanted to - gods, she wanted to - and it was taking so much willpower for her not to try getting away, to hide as surely Bella was doing right at that moment. She could feel the tenuous thread of anger beginning to unravel, to fray, and fighting a rising panic demanded, "Are you going to yell at me too?"

Jakart didn't mean to startle the she wolf as much as he just wanted to get her attention and turn around. Callisto did turn to meet his gaze, Jakart visibly flinching with a tense breath as he saw what was in her gaze. There was so much anger there in his friend as she paced from side to side as if sizing him up for a fight. Never before in his life had there ever been such a tense moment of him staring at someone that might as well have been a stranger. Callisto looked tormented as she spoke, Jakart letting out a shallow whine at her sharp words. Was there ever a chance that he would be happy to see her like this, a friend so distraught and aggravated to the point where he didn't know if he should just walk back into the den and pretend he had never heard anything? Was he happy like this? To see a friend that had been through so much and received so little brought to this point was as mentally numbing as the herbs he had been taking for pain. The answer to her question was plan as day for the grey wolf. "No," He began with a tad bit of force behind his words. "I cannot be happy because you are not happy Callisto." A weak assertive stride was hit as he spoke to the fuming female. "And it's... why I don't leave." The male took a shaky step forward with an almost desperate anxiety in his movements. She was ready to bolt. Close him out. Leave him. "I don't care that our arrangement ended or that you want to stay down here for all these herbs." Another set of steps, shoulder heavily protesting to the movement. "And I don't want to yell at you." Another step taken and he would've run right into her. A paw was lifted around her shoulder perhaps a little to harshly due to fatigue but the rest of Jakart's strength was used to pull her close in a worried embrace. He knew she didn't like this. The closeness and the touching or the fact that it was him and she hadn't seen a different face in months. "I'm sorry Calli." Was he weak for not yelling at her? Was it something that had to happen for her to feel anything? With a grunt Jakart brought his other foreleg around his friend in a close embrace. It wasn't that he needed Callisto to be happy, but from what he heard she needed Jakart to be. "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think She stared stubborn and resolute at Jakart as he looked pitifully back at her, daring him to take the bait and begin a new argument for her to focus her energy on, something easier to deal with than the fear and panic that were currently threatening to consume her. She needed it desperately to keep up the angry façade she was hiding behind, but with a quiet, equally stubborn tone, he denied it. Callisto's jaw clenched, her weight shifting from one side to the other as her tail flicked anxiously behind her. But she did not move, could not as he walked toward her. Her silver-blue eyes stared intently at him, trying to gauge what he would do by the words he spoke. He was so calm, gentle even, that she found him near impossible to predict, outside of her realm of comprehension. Why did he not lash out or get angry? How could he stay so insufferably collected? The anger in her expression began to falter the closer he got to her, cracking in places and revealing the anxiety beneath. Would he snap? She would have, and she braced herself for it, wishing she did not feel so rooted in place as he closed in the last few feet between them. It was too late to turn now, and Calli stared in worry into Jakart's face, recalling suddenly that he was a fighter, bigger than her, stronger. She should have run while she had her chance. She flinched as he reached for her, and felt his foreleg slip around her shoulders to bring her closer to him as he apologized. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes, unbidden and without restraint. He was sorry? He had not done a damn thing! Standing tense within his embrace, weakly straining against him as the fight slowly began to leave her, she felt him shift and bring his other foreleg around her, not tight enough to confine but strong enough to comfort. She did not understand his misguided need to see her happy, could not fathom why she of all wolves had been singled out, but here and now the words she had spoken rang truer than ever. On a weak, desperate whine, Callisto's resolve crumpled. She fell into a seated position, too defeated even to stand, and pressed her from into Jakart as he held her, her eyes clenched shut as she tucked her head into his chest. Silent tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, tears of sadness and confusion, desperation and helplessness. She hated this, hated that she felt so dependent upon this grey wolf, but her need to have him close, to keep him beside her, was greater than anything. "Don't leave," she whispered, begged, shifting further into his embrace as she gave in to her weakness and sought whatever closeness he would offer her. "I can't lose you again."

Callisto's had flinched at his initial touch. That was worrying, as if he could ever intentionally hurt his friend who had gone through so much already. A rumble bubbled up from within his chest as he felt her try and leave his grip, forelegs clutching around her neck even tighter to make her stay as he felt Callisto try and draw away. Perhaps this was the healer’s problem. Never letting anyone in this close emotionally. Like the night when he had been told of the ordeal she was forced through. Jakart tightened his grip as if to try and gradually squeeze the problem out of her with a comforting presence. By now she should've known the he didn't care about how she acted towards or that she was trying right now so hard not to break down and just let everything out. But he knew Callisto cared about him in a way. She had found him after the flood. Healed him. Jakart's ears pinned back as she gave a whine. The sound of finally relenting to her ex-lovers touch as she sat down. He scooted closer and almost fell as she pressed the side of her muzzle against the base of his throat. A paw trailed down her neck in a soothing motion, running through the marred fur of her torn scruff. It was visible evidence that he cared. The moment his jaws had found her in the flood he had been prepared to give his life for hers. Jakart couldn't explain it. This feeling had never been told to him or what he should try and do to remedy it's effects. All he knew was that he felt calm and with purpose as he did whatever Callisto asked him to do. And she asked him never to leave her again. To never go away. "I wont." Jakart whispered in a solemn promise. "I'll be with you till the day I die." The weight of the words that had slipped out past his muzzle drew heavily in his heart as he stroked his once-mate. A placating and tender kiss was planted between Callisto's ears as he gently began rocking the healer back and forth with what reserves of strength he had left. It was kept up for only a few moments as his strength was finally sapped from repeating the simple motions. God’s his limbs felt useless. After this he would need to recoup whatever strength he could before they had to return to the north over the land bridge. Callisto was giving one final kiss before he drew back with a wide yawn and let his tongue lolled past his jaws. "You good?" He let out an uneasy smile as he slumped onto his side and looked up at his once mate with uncertainty. Jak would never leave her now, for she had asked him not to. And he wouldn’t unless she said so otherwise. A grey paw of hers was spotted and he shimmied closer to the object of his attention, feathery nips trailing up and down her ankle in an effort to try and get a laugh with the sensation. Or a smile, anything to bring her away from the brokenness that had once again taken a hold of the healer. "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think How had she ever believed she could live without this? In no time of her life had the healer ever been one for physical affection of any kind. Hugs, kisses, nuzzles: they had all been absent from her childhood, absent within her family growing up, and surrounding herself with strangers she had blanched even at the thought. Somehow Jakart changed those thoughts, made her reconsider her stance on personal space and affection as a general concept. True, he had nearly died and it had effected her more than she liked, but finally here, wrapped up by him and soothed with soft brushes of his dark paws, she knew that it was more than that. No matter how much she wished it was nothing, meant nothing, she could not fully deny it any longer. She nuzzled gently into the fur of the grey wolf's chest, eyes still tightly closed and silently leaking tears. Her body trembled as she remained pressed against him, and no matter how she tried to school herself the composure she had lost continued to stay out of reach. This was so unlike her, so out of the norm, that it was ultimately frightening, and yet she felt helpless, unable to do anything except what she was currently doing. An ear twitched as Jakart's soft voice whispered to her, answering her plea with assurances. He would be with her. Until death. The commitment of which he spoke was a sobering thought, especially given how easily he spoke the words. Was it so simple for him to pledge himself in that way? To give up the rest of his life to her, all because she could not let him go? I don't understand him, Callisto thought, not for the first time, though she was beginning to think that she never would. In the end, for her, it did not matter. She wanted him, needed him close, for reasons that were beyond her comprehension, and he was agreeing to stay. That...that was enough for her. No matter that she fought it, another whispered whine managed to escape her as the full weight of his promise sank in, rooting her to the spot and rooting her to him. She felt the soft kiss atop her head, so tenderly placed between her ears, and it stirred in her a need to do the same. As he rocked her gently from side to side, Calli placed a soft lick against his chest, tilting her head back so that she could offer another to the underside of his jaw. She would have continued, giving more, but his paws around her had grown slack and he appeared to be weakening. Even the yawn convinced her he was still not rested well enough, though of course his concern was only for her. Was she okay? "No," she answered simply, truthfully. With everything she was feeling, she doubted she would ever feel okay again. Strength gone, Jak slumped to the ground, startling Callisto. This was all poorly timed; he was not fully recovered, he needed more time to rest, and this whole ordeal was helping nothing. Even she felt so emotionally drained she could feel it physically as well. Still, there was some life in him yet. He scooted closer to her and reached for one of her forelegs, the soft, grazing sensation of his teeth tickling enough to get her to lift her paw out of the way and set it back down again. Her head lowered as she stood close to his side, and as she kissed the side of his cheek with a lingering lick her silver-blue eyes stared heavily into his mismatched gaze. "I should send you back in to rest," she told him, though the words were not spoken like an order. The strict side of her that took her healing craft seriously advised it, but the thread of selfishness in her wanted nothing more than to curl up right there beside him and cling to this one wolf who she seemed unable to be without. "Do you need more rest?" she made herself ask instead, softly trailing her nose along his uninjured cheek.

Though his limbs ached he remembered a moment ago when Callisto had been shaking in even while wrapped up in his comforting embrace. When she licked him he was more than prepared for Callisto to further show signs of caring, and daresay. Affection. The word seemed rather bold to describe her feelings towards him and made for a workable goal further in their blossoming relationship. This sort of caring for her was similar to what he always felt towards his family although it differed even from that type of protective and loving urge. In all honest it confused him terribly though he gave it no thought when around Callisto. It was simply a feeling of being at peace. The fur of her foreleg grazed though his teeth again before Callisto drew the limb away to then stand by his side. He felt her lips on his cheek and he stared back into her silvery blue eyes as their noses touched. Jakart hummed as the tip of his tongue pressed past her teeth in a deep and passionate kiss. They hadn't touched each other like this since her season or when Callisto had said a few months ago that the plan in dealing with her hormonal rage was over. This however felt so... right, leaning up against her lips. That agreement was certainly null now. So much had happened in a few weeks that he felt as if they were somehow starting over. Pinned ears picked up her words. Would she send him into the den to sleep some more? He had already done plenty of that. What he needed to do was simply move, work out the aches and fatigue in his muscles from lying down so long. But Callisto continued as asked if it was what he needed, his tail flicking at the question. "No," Jakart answered sharply as his lovers nose trailed along his cheek. "I don't." He ended with a whispered hum that reverberated next to one of the healer's ear. "Just need to move." Jakart wouldn't mind more snuggling, the grey male thinking that he should takes few short walks throughout the next few days to rid himself of the stiffness he felt in his joints. But only after Callisto was done with him, Jak planting a quick kiss on the grey fur beneath the healer's eyes before crossing his paws in content fashion. "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think Jakart's particular kisses should not have surprised her anymore, and yet it still did as she felt his tongue intrude past her teeth. The action, combined with the little hum he made, set off new thoughts in her head, reflections of the last time he had kissed her like this...and where things had led. Pursuing that aspect of their relationship again had not been considered given the apparent state of her... What was he now? She could not say with certainty - their relationship was all sorts of jumbled and backward - but either way she was wary of pushing him past what he was physically capable of. He had nearly died, and she continued to remind herself of this. No matter that he looked better, he was still recovering, and that took time. Still, the thought circled back around through her mind as she trailed her nose across the side of his cheek, a new want that she had convinced herself she did not need surfacing and stirring within her body. No, her healer's conscience answered adamantly, not now, no. Which was just what Jak answered too. He did not need rest, did not need to be sent back into the den to lay down and sleep longer than he already had. Silver-blue eyes searched his, unsure how much she believed his statement but deciding in the end to take his word on the matter. She would find out soon enough. "That's good," she answered with a slight nod of her head, listening to the gentle hum that he made against her ear. Were his thoughts beginning to follow the same line as hers? She suspected they might have, and his added response very nearly made her smile. Soft kisses touched the angular, spotted markings beneath her eyes, and seemingly comfortable Jakart crossed his forelegs. "Hmm," she murmured thoughtfully, watching him as she reached out with one grey forepaw and placed it gently against his shoulder, pressing and easing him over onto his back. She did not step over him but stepped in close, standing just beside him as she leaned her head down beside his. "You know," she remarked, stealing a kiss against the corner of his lips, "I know some ways you could move." Her muzzle ducked lower, brushing against his cheek as she sought to graze her teeth against his ear. "If you're interested," she amended in a whisper, refraining from doing more.

The female's nose trailed along the side of his cheek and it only caused Jakart to return the action with an opportunistic kiss to her neck. The gesture trailed back up to her maw, head tilting to kiss his once mate. At least she had acknowledged his assessment that he had slept enough and was feeling better. The healer card wasn't pulled against him and Jakart relaxed to simply watch his lover after drawing away from her lips. The ebony wolf appeared thoughtful for a moment, his own brain working on future plans. Would he tell his siblings of how things between him and Callisto had changed into something more confusing? Tell his mother if he should ever see her again? The two wolves were so far content in the showings of their new found affections, though unbeknownst to Jakart, Callisto's trail of thought was shifting. Surprise crossed over his features as a paw came up to his shoulder and pushed with a degree of reverence until his was forced to roll onto his back. Mismatched eyes closed as she spoke, kissed him, and planted the thought of intimacy in his head. It had been over half a year since they had agreed to stop sleeping with each other. To be honest he wasn't in the best condition to take the lead in the current moment. He stared up at Callisto, knowing clearly what she meant and in no real position to deny her. Nor would he. If she felt that this was supposed to happen now that they were a thing than by all means let it be so. Jakart returned the kiss on the corner of his muzzle and felt the female train he fangs through his fur all the way up to an ear. "I could use some help moving." There was no taking back the hushed words, nor would he want to as a black foreleg brushed her shoulder. Their muzzles touched as Jakart gave his once mate a kiss, the male now more than glad to do whatever she wished of him. "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think The push she gave to his shoulder was seemingly unexpected, though the injured grey wolf offered no resistance as she settled him onto his back. Either he really was a lot weaker than he was letting on - a possibility Callisto was really hoping against - or he had chosen fairly quickly not to fight her. Or, her favorite scenario, he had consciously decided that this was what he wanted too. She had always supposed that there was some mutual level of physical attraction between them that kept them both in their awkward relationship and explained why he never denied any advances she made on him. Maybe, she considered now, it was all part of his decision to keep her happy. She was happy as she drew back and watched his eyes close and open again to meet hers with a yielding look of consent. He spoke honestly, not denying what she suggested but warning her that he was still not in the best physical state to go about things as had become their norm. Calli had thought as much already herself as well, and as she returned the kiss that he gave her she shifted, moving to stand over him. A part of her wanted to draw things out, to tease him with nips and kisses for as long as she could get away with it, but it hardly seemed befitting of the circumstances. There would be plenty of other opportunities for that sort of thing later. "Let me help then," she answered, whispering the words against his lips as she lowered her body to his and gave in wholly to her want and need of him. -Fade-

Jakart didn't really know what to expect after the lull in the physical side of their relationship. It was all coming back so fast, remembering all the little quirks as a paw came up to brush her shoulder in a pining for her to show him more. There had been but a taste of what was to come a moment ago with what she hinted at. Memories of stolen moments spent with her during last autumn came rushing back in a flurry of rekindled passion. This however felt far more natural than a simple agreement to keep the heat under control. A lifetime of happiness together had just been agreed upon and the healer was wasting no time in officially solidifying that bond. He remembered his father and mother had done so when they had first started meeting one another. This was very different, Callisto moving over his prostrate form to soon preform. To be honest he wished that he was in better condition to help out with the act than he normally was. As Callisto seductively murmured the words against his lips, his muzzle nipped her lower jaw, Jakart's tongue coming out to lick the fur of her chin. There was suddenly a moment when he gave pause in his work, only able to stare up at his lover in understanding and placid contentment before returning to his kisses with a bit more fervor than before as he gave himself fully to Callisto. -fade- "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think Some time later, the dark healer lay beside her now-official lover, her forelegs tucked between their chests as his held her gently to him. For an entire week, Callisto had stayed close to him, watching to make sure that Jak's fever broke and his wounds were properly tended to. Each time she looked upon him she had felt a reflection of her grief, as well as an overwhelming sense of relief that he survived. Each feeling was startling in its own right, especially given their strong nature, but combined they had frightened her. The attachment she felt was foreign and strange, completely unknown to her, and out of habit Calli had tried to distance herself from it, from him. Now, however, she was starting to accept it. It was still scary, unquestionably, but to share these moments with Jakart, to know that he would stay with her forever, made it worthwhile to face that fear. A soft, murmured noise of contentment slid from her muzzle as she lay there, eyes closed and her expression peaceful. She felt strangely better than she had for a long while, free and possibly even happy. Her pessimistic thoughts assured that it would not last, that something could, and would, eventually go wrong, but Calli chose to ignore them. It was so much nicer to remain blissfully in the moment, to feel, at least for this time, that everything was okay, and that she was not alone. With a quiet intake of breath, her silver-blue eyes opened to stare dreamily at Jakart. He looked like the embodiment of everything that she felt: the inner peace, the contentment, the safety. If she had been prone to it, she might have smiled, but if anything her half-lidded gaze softened. I'm lucky, she realized as she looked at him. Since when did I become lucky? How many wolves could say they had lost someone and had that individual returned to them? How many wolves could claim to have been given a second chance at something potentially great? With the events of her life so far, Callisto never would have dreamed to possess any sort of good luck at all, but it was so hard to deny when she considered how much worse things could have been. He could still be gone, she thought to herself as she trailed a grey forepaw up through the fur of his chest, he could have died. She could have never found him, or worse, found his lifeless body instead. It's you, Calli realized, t's all because of you. Jakart, somehow, was turning her horrible luck and cursed life around.

Jakart had drifted off when the hormones and satisfaction had cooled down between him and his lover. It was an idle sleep, the warm presence of Callisto beside him as he tenderly held the she wolf in a lax embrace. Whatever ache his shoulder had was now gone along with the sting of his marred face, head no longer throbbing in the fever of sickness but now in the throes of cooled passion. Such a treat. Such a comfort they both offered one another with the rendezvous of physical union. The relationship was fresh with no more secrets. No more traipsing around one another to see where they both stood. He loved it. Even if what he felt for Callisto was similar than what he felt towards his family there was undoubtedly a connection acknowledged between the pair. Neither would be alone now with the recent affirmations and acceptance. And as Jakart tried to return to his mother and tell her the good news, with no luck, his mind was pulled away from its returning search to Somnium by an idle paw that wasn't his own. Callisto was pulled next to him a little tighter than when he had been sleeping but it suddenly relaxed at the soothing motion of his lover's touch against his chest. "Afternoon." He mumbled as sleep still tried to pull him back and try for the dream world again. There was time to wait for that till tonight however, mismatched eyes taking in every detail of his lovers muzzle as he planted a kiss on her cheek and drew back to simply stare into Callisto's light blue eyes. "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think She felt the grey forelegs and black paws around her tighten their hold but ultimately relax as her touch roused Jakart from sleep. There was no guilt to her expression for it, though she supposed she could have been more discreet so that he could rest longer. He likely needed it considering he had been in a less than stellar condition before they ventured back into the physical side of their relationship. Maybe there was just a smidgen of guilt there after all, but she refused to apologize, or to allow him a moment to sleep again so soon. Her lover was awake now, placing a soft kiss against her cheek, and now that he was all the thoughts that had gone through her mind as she lay awake transformed into questions that she wished to ask. Her pale, silver-blue eyes shifted as they stared between Jak's gold and blue eyes, noting not for the first time the peculiar coloration of his gaze. Calli could recall, if only vaguely, seeing both colors in the eyes of his parents when they had all lived together in the same pack years ago, though she could not recall in great enough detail whether they matched perfectly in shade and hue. So different, she mused as the paw that had trailed across his chest did so again but continued upward to softly touch his grey cheek. She was careful as she did so, mindful of the healing scars that encircled his eye on one side and spread down across his shoulder. Those scars, she realized with some amusement, had not held up quite as well. "I'm going to have to patch you up again," she remarked in soft, low voice, surveying the damage before returning her gaze to his. For a moment, Callisto stared silent, thoughtful, as she considered how very quickly their relationship had gone from a state of denial into a state of reluctant acceptance. Impulsively, she asked in a whispered voice, "Does this scare you at all? What we're doing?" Did Jakart feel any of her nervousness in all of this, the unsettling feeling of finding her place in this new state of "normal" between them? Or was she alone in it? She presumed the latter - Jak always struck her as the easily adaptable type, capable of finding normalcy in any sort of situation. She suddenly found herself envious of it.

Their gaze never broke as Callisto's roving paw receded down his chest like the tide on the beach before traveling up higher, past his throat to touch close to the mending gash along his cheek. When her paw stopped her eyes shifted, the healer must have caught a glimmer of blood or reddening of the exposed flesh. Not quite the activity they both participated in that warranted the healing of knitting skin, Callisto speaking almost as if it was an afterthought. She would need to apply herbs again. Jakart continued his staring as he eyes returned to his. There wasn't a need to break the gaze, no awkwardness or shame held against one another that made him advert his gaze by a sense of wrongdoing. No, Jakart had been beyond satisfied after letting a woman assume the dominant role in the physical rendezvous. The thought was lost as Callisto imposed a surprising question, one that there was no need to my about. Jakart's grip tightened a bit and he arched his side and brought his chest closer to the she wolf. "Callisto," Jakart began, warmth in his tone with a hint of curiosity that sneaked into his voice. "We've been together for more than a year." The volume of his voice dropped into a whisper. As if there were others watching them this moment of private conversation, though they were still alone. "Can't imagine being together forever will be any different." He spoke sincerely and with assurance. If there were a hint of doubt creeping through Callisto's mind then he would need to do everything in his power to assure her that he could accommodate her needs. No need to strain their relationship for the sake of being unreasonable. "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"

Walk | Talk | Think A part of her hoped for some sort of agreement regarding how she felt about their new arrangement. It would have been a little easier to proceed, knowing Jakart understood how she felt and that she was not alone in her fears. But, of course, he did not. He equated their future as simply more of the same, such a simplistic answer but one that Callisto had yet to consider. Could it truly be nothing different at all and just more years like the last? Were their lives not drastically changed by this new relationship between them, this feeling of dependency and need? The healer was skeptical, entirely uncertain, and the gentle but wary frown on her face spoke of it. But how did she explain, how did she make him see things the way she did? How could she begin to make him understand her fear of this unknown? Letting the topic drop, the pitch colored wolf sighed, averting her gaze downward. There was nothing to say about it anymore, and because thinking about it repeatedly was going to get her nowhere she sought the same distraction she had always gone to when her mind became her enemy. She tucked her paw and snuggled closer to the one who held her, nuzzling her head beneath his chin and closing her eyes as she did so. It was so easy to get lost in him, to let Jakart's mere presence bring all her worried, frantic pieces together into one cohesive being again. No one else had been able to do that, or at least to her knowledge no one had tried. But Jak had. Each time she began to fall apart, he was there to put her together again. Each time she felt her composure crack, he was there to give her the stability she craved. He might not have known completely her fear, but Calli reasoned that he would make the transition as easy for her as possible. He would not push her, or demand more, than what she was willing to give. He would be passive until she asked for otherwise, until she needed otherwise. She trusted him, he who pulled at her emotions more strongly than anyone else had gotten close to doing. Her pale blue eyes blinked softly, half-lidded again as she relaxed once more into a sense of complacency. "You really are the luckiest thing to happen to me," she murmured, soft but just loud enough for him to hear. I'm lucky, Callisto repeated to herself, still struggling to comprehend it though it was so hard to deny the truth when it was currently holding her together.

If there was comfort in his words Callisto hardly showed it from the way her gaze broke away from his. Jakart was reassured by the way she brought her forepaw closer to her chest, the way she quickly wriggled closer against him, the top of her head pressed underneath his chin. Was this a wordless way of definitely agreeing to the arrangement? Jakart didn't really know as he turned his muzzle and licked along an ear. As far as he knew they were still two weirdos that decided on getting together and doing the whole relationship thing in reverse. Callisto's murmured words brought his attention back from idle thought, chest swelling a bit as he held his breath for a moment. Was he really? However old Callisto was and she was considering him to be the only thing in life that was the best? There was a sad thought, but as his tongue caressed between her ears he supposed that he could make things even more lucky for her in their future time together. Dunno what. But he had years to think of joyful moments to encounter and bring her along for the ride as they spent the rest of their lives with one another. "I'm glad you fell in love with me..." Jakart murmured, the words almost held back, forelegs wrapping tighter against his lover to comfort her after such a confession. Tomorrow, when the two of them would wake, they would spend the rest of their lives together as partners. No longer strangers in a strange relationship. The grey wolf eventually found sleep, wholly content with the decision he had made earlier that he was the right one for her and that Callisto was the right one for him. -Jakart is asleep- "Talk" "You" Think "Companion"