Blossoms [Keely]

[Fyodor]

Fyodor moved with a heavy limp. He gave a low whine because he was really getting tired, just walking and patrolling the lands. He should have known that being Consul of a pack required just a little more work than being a pup in training—practically everything he knew was in preparation of this title, and he didn’t find himself strong enough to carry such a mantle. Weary, he decided that the best place to rest, other than the underground denning area, was the orchard.

Bright and colorful, the orchard flowers were in full bloom. White flowers looked like birds perched by thousands in the boughs. And they smelled so sweet. It was early spring and the nip of the winter hadn’t left the Plains—although there wasn’t much of a nip to be honest—and the flowers seemed eager in the coolness.

Fyodor stretched out rather than curled up. He let his four tails span out behind him. Come summer, he would have to go through another splitting tail. He gave a sigh. Such times were not his favorite. However, the morning sun played on his body. Despite all the hardships of being a crippled wolf, he realized that there really was nothing hard about it. He just was. And he would always be. Besides, in moments like these, it didn’t matter.

No one was watching him. No one was telling him how imperfect he was. He lay on his side, his small leg facing up while his good leg was underneath—only because it was more comfortable. Fyodor gave a deep sigh and laying comfortable in the sunshine, he kept thinking about Keely. He didn’t really understand why because he never had a female who liked him and he never really liked a female before, but he all decided that maybe, being a Consul was a great thing and it was something he definitely needed to do.

“It’s a g-good day,” he said aloud, as if to make the idea all the more concrete.

[Keely]

Keely slunk through newly growing vegetation. The sun was warm on her bright back and she could not help but smile even broader than usual. She giggled to herself as a pair of butterflies, daring the early spring fluttered near her nose. She nipped at them playfully and continued frolicking through the shady grass. She peered up the trees, this was probably going to be her favorite spot in the pack lands.

She was admiring the blossoms, inhaling the sweet scents. Her purple eyes soon caught an orange mass of fur below on of the trees. Her twin tail wagged excitedly. It was Fyodor! She felt her heart swell and even skip a beat at the realization of who it was. She thought about running up to him, but then a light bulb went off in her mind. She could sneak up on him! It would be fun!

She crouched low to the ground, her yellow rump high in the air and wavering like a kitten stalking a piece of fluff. She crept closer, trying to stifle her infections giggles. It was not a well thought out plan, he was bound to hear her coming. Especially since some of the birds had taken flight, stopped singing or were just watching her curiously. She didn't care though, this was a fun game. Her petite paws carry her quietly closer to him. She had to bite her lip as she got closer to keep from giggling.

Then, with a burst of energy she leaped toward him with a loud "Gotcha!" as her tiny body sailed through the air. A few of the denser birds that had not detected her till now, took flight in surprise.

[Fyodor]

Birdsong, he hadn’t been listening to it at all—more occupied with his own boiling musings. Fyodor jolted up from his moment of rest. His electric eyes were wide in shock as he immediately rolled to his feet at the sound of Keely’s ‘gotcha’. She was a smaller wolf and it was lucky then because she landed square on Fyodor, who took the hit with a solid ‘oof’. Apparently, it was a bad choice to stand up so quickly because it forced him to lose his balance almost instantly.

Fyodor and Keely rolled together in the dappled shade-thrown ground. Yellow, orange, yellow, orange. They played like a blur on the ground until the two lightweight wolves stopped because the light hill dipped into a valley that caught the two of them. Fyodor heaved onto his feet, still dizzy and clumsy and shook the dust out of his fur, almost falling back down due to his three-legged stance. He finally had a grip on the situation.

He finally noticed that it was Keely. Fyodor felt overjoyed rather than hurt. If it had been another wolf, he wouldn’t have taken it so easily, but it was Keely, who seemed to accept him as a wolf from the very beginning.

And, it seemed that such a gift was hereditary because Holmes and Chase, her cousins, were very much the same. He gave a sigh, “You sc-scared me, K-K-Keely.” After he said this, he hung his head in an exaggerated manner before peeking up and saying, “W-w-w-well…” He wanted to say that he was glad to see her, but found that the words were too much of a mouthful and so, he merely smiled.

[Keely]

She squealed with delight as the two toppled down the shallow hill, her world was in a whirl and it was amazing. When gravity gently put her hand on them to stop the tumbling, Keely was still giggling almost at a loss of breath. She remained on her back as Fyodor disentangled himself from her. She peered up at him, eyes shinning and her pink tongue lolling out of a massive grin.

She flopped to her side as Fyodor turned to talk to her. "I scared you! Yay!" She was glad her impromptu game was a success. She succeeded in sneaking up on him after all. She giggled a little as he hung his head low. Well once she saw his smile she giggled. She reached a paw up to tap him under the chin in a 'cheer up' gesture. She then pushed herself up to her feet and licked under his chin, tails waggling happily.

"I'm glad I found you! This place is so pretty, all the flowers and birds." She looked up at him, genuine happiness in her face. This holding a pack thing seemed like a great idea. She felt confident that she and Fyodor could do it. Especially now that her cousins were involved.

She decided it was a good time to explain some of the things she had been doing the past few days, "Fyodor! I was exploring the veld and I found another lyxxus, he was different looking, all spotty" Her brows furrowed a little as she tried to think of more ways to describe him, but all she could think of was spotty. She looked up at him, hoping that her news would make him happy. She was very glad to see him and she wanted him to know.

[Fyodor]

Fyodor smiled brightly as Keely spoke. He had always been a great listener due to the fact that he couldn’t speak very well. Maybe that was why they voted him. Maybe that was why they saw all his strengths and none of his weaknesses. Despite the fact that he had always been a great listener, he found his thoughts straying, his ears not catching every word. It would have been disconcerting, but Fyodor realized bit by bit the reason why he was feeling this way.

His blush colored nose twitched a bit as he watched her mouth opening and closing. Just watching her speaking quickly. For some reason, he didn’t feel any envious thoughts. Just the feeling that he enjoyed her presence. He wasn’t focused really on what she was saying, but nodded softly and said, “I-Is-Is that s-so?” He stuttered terribly, as he always did. He had been watching her. Not listening. He was taking in her daffodil colored coat. Her lovely pelage seemed just as bright as her warm soul. And her eyes, how he loved the way they sparkled… and then… a question peeked in his head. So, Lye, what did she say?

He furrowed his brows in concentration when he realized that he missed everything she had said. He shut his eyes for a moment, but realized he didn’t want to seem so obvious.

“D-did you know, in my old pack, it was tradition to-to call someone you love, Amans?” He half-sang, not wanting to ruin the next part, just to try it out, “Amans Keely…” He didn’t know why he said it, but after he said it, it just felt right. However, Fyodor realized that he had just said it aloud. “I-it-it-it-it-it…” He grew very frightened because he thought she might take it the wrong way. He tried to form the cop out in his head, but it wouldn’t come out of his mouth. “It-it-it-it…” He was stuck on that single word.

It was just an example...
But Fyodor knew what it really meant.

[Keely]

She waited, panting slightly from the excitement and long windedness of her talking. She felt like she had been accomplished in meeting a new wolf, she wanted to know if he would ask any questions about the encounter. However, his response was not quite what she had expected. 'Those you love?'

She was fascinated with his old pack, so many terms and words and things had come into her world because of him and his old pack. So hearing new information was kind of like turning the page of a bed time story book. Her tails wagged, she took the word into her mind 'Amans'. She silently played with it on her tongue.

However her concentration was broken once he spoke her name coupled with the new word. She looked up at him with a quizzical expression. Then, slowly but surely, the wheels turned and it dawned on her. Amans Keely.... He loved her. Fyodor loved her!

Her face brightened even more, eyes lighting up in an almost impossible expression of happiness. She blushed and her ears went back on her head. She felt so fuzzy, like her stomach had leaped for joy. She looked up at him, fully understanding now, and willing to accept every detail of it.

She bit her lip with a sweet, almost shy smile. Quietly, she answered, "Amans.....Fyodor...."

[Fyodor]

Fyodor was taken aback by her reaction. He hadn’t expected her to react favorably. He thought that, for certain, she would have been confused and the two of them would have an awkward gulf between them, but it seemed that that would not be the case. He didn’t know if he was certainly in love with her, despite the fact that he called her Amans. He knew that there was a reason that he did so, but couldn’t bring himself to admit it because, for most of his life, he didn’t really know love.

Awkward Fyodor gave a shy face and his pink nose revealed that he was blushing with embarrassment. Even if he did love her as much as he hoped she loved him, he didn’t have her enthusiasm. He was a quiet wolf who kept to himself, and that was fine, he reasoned.

The wind blew a rare gust and tossed some merry blossoms around. It was like snow, but it wasn’t cold at all. Fyodor was happy for that and told Keely, “So, I g-guess it’s real.” He smiled as the pastel flowers cleared to one side, letting the ground become bare after their dramatic dance. Fyodor completely missed the show that the wind and flowers put up for him. He was lost in Keely’s eyes. He was lost in her small form. Yes. This felt so right. She had to be for him. And he had to have loved her.

What else could this be?

[Keely]

She felt so warm and even giddier than normal. She felt lighter than air. She gazed into his eyes, they were like pools of crystal clear water. So calm and steady. She felt the wind stir her pelt and giggled slightly.

"We are real, Fyodor" It was a statement of fact to her. They were both present, they both felt what was around them. They both felt warm together even though the new spring air was chilly. The petals danced around them, one landed on her nose, just like the snowflake from the day they met. She giggled, but didn't try to move it. She liked the fact that it did not melt like the snow.

She scooted closer to him when a more powerful gust of wind assaulted them. It was fun the way her fur moved, but it made her a little cold. She never did too well in cold, as Fyodor had discovered during the winter when they were spending time together. She nuzzled into his warm chest and inhaled his scent deeply.

"Fyodor...will you keep me warm...forever?"

[Fyodor]

Fyodor flickered his eyes to the sky before putting them back, a steady gaze into Keely’s own. It was, in retrospect, a proper wolf thing to do. He was challenging her because he felt that she was challenging him. He was a wolf who hardly knew what love was, and he both wanted to give it and receive it. But he felt that he didn’t know how without hurting her.

What were they going to do about pups? Every wolf he knew with pups was four-legged, healthy, and completely perfect. And both he and she had their imperfections. She was a tiny wolf. But Fyodor felt another thought itch at his head. Let it go.

And the crippled wolf watched the female whom was offering herself to him—not in sex, but as a friend and lover. All too many times, Fyodor had to suffer from lack of love. He always said that he wanted this, but couldn’t explain why, at this moment, he didn’t want it anymore. let it go.

Fyodor turned his eyes away, blinking softly, but quietly he said, “I will. I… always will.” And when he faced her again, he wore a smile. The wolf hobbled over to her side, and he thought of her as his mate now, though with much reluctance—only because he didn’t know how to hold the idea in his head without worrying it too much. And he hunkered down awkwardly, due to her small size, and leaned against her quietly. “Are you w-warm?”

[Keely]

She nuzzled into his soft fur, not wanting to go anywhere else. It took her a while to consider what the future held. She had seen her parents cuddle like this before. So naturally she thought of having pups of her own. In her mind, the fact that they were different than other wolves did not register. She just pictured the two of them with pups, little carbon copies prancing around in the blossoms.

Complications. That was going to be inevitable, yet she remained blissfully unaware. Her naivety kept her safe for the moment. Fyodor's worries were not unfounded, but it would be a while until she realized what could happen to her.

She smiled happily as his voice reverberated through his chest. It was soothing, "Yes, I'm warm, thank you." She reached her little muzzle up and licked under his chin to show her gratitude and affections. She wanted to hear him talk some more. "Tell me more about your pack?"

[Fyodor]

Fyodor averted his eyes quickly. Half in shyness, and half in memory. He gave a small noise as he cleared his throat. He really didn’t know what to make of it. It was all a mystery to him. Something which could not be deciphered or distinguished or even made to mark or spoken about. It was simply love. That was it. And it wasn’t meant to be defined. It just was.

And soon, Fyodor saw that and he grasped the idea eagerly because it was more comfortable. And he said to Keely after she licked him under his chin, “Uh, I-I-I…” Scratch that. Start over. He was already fumbly over words. All this emotion was making him trip up even more, like a verbal klutz. Gah, it was nerve racking.

“M-my pack,” Fyodor sort of didn’t want to talk about himself. He really didn’t. And he didn’t think that he was very interesting or smart or brave. He saw no point in it. Fyodor wanted to hear about Keely. What she likes, what she wanted, and the pack she grew up in. But he wasn’t the sort to be assertive really. Especially with Keely making him so nervous. So, he had to humor her.

“Well. My p-p-p-p… You know… it was a democracy. W-we had special names f-for all the ranks. Aedile… Quaestor…” He shook his head, “It didn’t matter who… who… y-your father and m-m-mother were… A wolf always started as a Plebs.” He said it like ‘pleebz’. “Once they grew up, I mean.” He gave a sigh, trying his hardest to sound intelligible enough for Keely to follow. “Pups were called Infanes, or infans in singular. And an elder was a senex.” He lowered his tufted ears. “I r-remember… that s-some of the infanes were chosen, based on looks, who w-w-would be the… the best candidate for C-Consul.” He looked at Keely, “I-I was consi…consi…consi… sidered… considered a good candidate because I used to be a handsome wolf.” His eyes were downcast as he furrowed his brow in concentration. “But my leg just st-stopped growing.”

He looked at it, “I… wasn’t a good candidate a- anymore.” They would have accepted him if all he had was a stutter, but that was not the case. The memories were starting to affect him a bit. One could see that he didn’t look as proud or as happy. He was fully ashamed of his leg and thinking about it only reminded him of how close he was to being a great leader of a great pack, only to have it snatched from him. He really did think the pack was a good one. He even named all the ranks after that old pack.

Fyodor frowned a bit and hid his small puppy-leg. His tails all fluffed against it to hide it. His vibrantly blue eyes picked up to look at Keely. “I kn-know… that y-you think me a good candidate. It helps… it really d-does.”

[Keely]

She smiled quietly as he told her about his old pack. She hoped that their pack could become great. Though she wanted it to be more accepting than his old pack. She looked up into his eyes again, "Of course I think you would make a good leader. You are smart and kind."

She looked over the landscape, "I think it is really neat to have so much meaning in a pack. All those titles and positions. My pack was just my family. We were not the biggest or the strongest. But we all loved each other and looked out for one another." She smiled, though there was a tinge of sadness. She missed her family. She had not been away from them for long, but the constant company and warmth was missed.

She looked back at Fyodor, that made her feel better. It was like he had become a surrogate family. Her cousins were nearby too, which was helpful. The little female smiled up at Fyodor. "What would you like to do now?"

[Fyodor]

Fyodor nuzzled Keely, suddenly feeling that perhaps he shouldn’t withhold his affections. He just gave her a quick nuzzle, that was all, and then kept his muzzle to himself and became reserved again. He wanted to do something. He wanted to do anything, but didn’t want to say a thing because he didn’t want to ruin anything with his clumsy stuttering. He knew he’d ruin the moment. His heart was beating so fast and time seemed to be running full, but he knew that as soon as he opened his mouth, his words would take all things down to a crawl.

Sometimes, it was best not to say a thing. But he wasn’t a mind reader and neither was she. And he knew that this moment would stand still if he didn’t say anything. And so, he simply lowered his ears pathetically and said, “A p-pack should be… be a family.” And he didn’t know how Keely would take his words. “We should-d-d-d…” Fyodor gave a sigh. He just gave up and looked at Keely. A thousand thoughts sang through his eyes. And frustration sank in.

[Keely]

She smiled softly at his affectionate nuzzle. She liked that it was for her, it made her fuzzy and happy. She enjoyed being near him, especially with so many flowers floating around the quiet air. She looked up at him, never getting tired of looking into his eyes.

Her ears perked and quivered when he began to talk about a pack being a family. Oh how she agreed, "Yes! A pack needs to have family to be strong and happy!" She wondered a moment about her cousins, that was family. That didn't seem to hit with his point though, "WE are a family, Fyodor!" The idea dawned on her slowly, her parents were the center of her pack growing up. She was surrounded by siblings and aunts and uncles. "There needs to be puppies" She stated, as if wondering if it was the right thing to say.

Her mind flashed back to a previous thought, about her and Fyodor surround by tiny clones. "Can we have puppies, Fyodor?" In her mind, the idea of puppies arriving was a magical thing full of wonder. She knew that they had to somehow get inside the mommy's belly. Her instinct told her that it was true, and tentatively explained the process.

[Fyodor]

He didn’t think that Keely would have wanted them so quick. And he didn’t know that he had led her to believe that that was what he was talking about. But he entertained the idea in his head, playing with it. He, a father? He was barely a wolf! He looked to his small paw and then gave a grim glance to Keely’s runty body. Surely a breeding between them wouldn’t end well. He was two years her senior anyways. When he was her age, she was just being born. It put a lot of odd thoughts in his head, but he knew that he couldn’t refuse.

He realized more and more that he loved her. And to show that he loved her, he needed to conform to that which was normal. That being said, he knew full well what was normal. But he still gulped it down with a bit too much nervousness. And then, Fyodor said, with his trademark stutter, “W-w-w-well… ahem… We will love them, no matter wh-what.” And that was his okay. He made the plunge.