Stone Circle and a baby makes four

@Steady, but AW; feel free to overhear this private and confidential conversation.

Day finally felt like he'd gotten back into the swing of things. His shock at Althaia's murder was beginning to wear down, and though he still feared for his family, he was beginning to realize that he could only do so much. It was not in his power to stop every bad thing from happening, and all he could do was his best.

He was getting more sleep, but still not quite enough - that was just a part of life, he supposed. There wasn't enough time in the day to hunt as much as he wanted to, especially since he took watching over Amber and the borders very seriously.

Still, he'd carved out some time to seek out his alpha at his den. Aside from having something of his own he wanted to get off his chest, he was worried about how the alpha was taking Althaia's death.

"Steady?" he chuffed as he approached the den, hoping Valette wasn't around. He didn't mind speaking in front of the pups, but this was a conversation he wanted to have without any other adults present.

When he wasn't securing the borders, Steady could be found at the den site, so it was no surprise that Grayday's assumption that he'd find the Alpha there was correct. He was snoozing, eyes closed. Feeling relatively safe, he had nodded off and wasn't paying attention to the surrounding noises, except anything that might be alarming, like pups screaming. 

Grayday's voice awoke him, and his tail wagged in a friendly greeting. Hey, Grayday. How are you? How's Amber? he asked. He had, regretfully, not had much time for socializing other than whoever came around. But, he was happy the Gamma found the time to come by. 

Movement first drew Day's dull eyes, quickly followed by the sound of Steady's voice. Day ducked down beside the waking alpha and bumped his nose against the dark, blurry figure in greeting as he lowered himself to the ground. He made himself as comfortable as he could, though his bones ached with weariness and his muscled were tense with worry.

"We're doing good - Glad we're finally home," he said with a sigh, laying his head down on his paws and relishing the moment of peace. "She's big as a moose, so it can't be too much longer 'fore she pops," he added, affectionately. Her size was beginning to worry him, in all honesty. A big family sounded swell to him, but realistically, he knew that a smaller litter would be better for the pack. At the end of the day, even one healthy little cub would be enough for Day.

"How are you doing?" he wondered. Day hadn't come to talk about his kids, after all, though it was a topic he'd happily persue once he'd made sure Steady was doing well.

His tail continued to thump the ground as he returned the friendly nudge, leaning into Grayday as the other male settled down next to him. I am, too, he responded. It was nice not to worry about where he was. Steady chuckled when he described Amber. I don't think I would suggest saying that to her face, he said. He could imagine Moose-Amber turning Grayday into wolf meat. 

His friend asked how he was doing and Steady sighed. Okay, I suppose. Doesn't seem like my brain ever stops, he admitted. It wasn't the pups, it was the pack as a whole he was thinking about. He had to admit, though, he didn't hold quite the same stress as it once had. He had molded himself into this role, knew what his duties were, and he was much more confident about it. 

At least until Althaia's death. He felt responsible. He felt he should have protected her. He had promised her he would. He had failed. There wasn't a wolf in the Teekon Wilds who could convince him otherwise. 

"You and me, both," Day replied, thinking that he and Steady probably shared a lot of the same thoughts. Guilt and fear over Althaia's death, worries for the winters to come (especially with all the pups they'd attained), and dreams of being the best father they could be.

Probably, Day thought, the only thing they didn't have in common right then was a debilitating infautuation with a younger woman - but he wasn't going to rule out 'troubles of the heart' as a shared trait, either. "We've had a tough time of it, lately," he observed, laying his head down on his paws. "But me and Valley and Belle got a doe the other day, and the kids are alright. We're doing pretty good right now, all things considered."

He hoped that this was the right thing to say. Sometimes he was a little off when it came to talking things out, but he needed Steady to be in an open mood about this.

His ears twitched as he caught Grayday's nickname for Valette. Valley? he asked, his gaze turning to the other male. He wasn't sure how he felt about him having a nickname for her, but he had a growing feeling that he didn't like it. Valette and Steady had grown close to each other over the past weeks in caring for the pups. But, they were not mates, not even courting, and he knew he had no claim. But, Steady would be damned if Grayday would make a move on her, since he already had a mate. 

Mentally, he shook himself. He had allowed his thoughts to run away, and into dangerous territory. Steady would have no right to be jealous of Valette took a beau. Not that it would stop him from being so. 

I'm glad everyone is doing good, he said honestly. Do your pups have names? he asked, curious. He wouldn't be so bold as to ask to see them yet, knowing both parents would probably be highly protective at this stage, and Steady didn't want to overstep those boundaries. 

I think this was supposed to be set before the kids were born (he was referring to Keoni and Nikai, at the time) but I am going to go with this because it is much more exciting!

"Valette," he clarified, wondering how Valette herself would react to the nickname. Thus far, he hadn't called her that to her face. No time, he supposed. "She reminds me so much of my sister," he sighed, tail twitching behind him. "I remember when I thought this pack would never feel like home... but it snuck up on me, and I'm so grateful for you taking me in, and now Amber and the kids," he said genuinely, stretching his neck to poke his nose at Steady's shoulder.

"Yeah - A boy and a girl, like your two," he said cheerfully, tail wagging much harder, now. "Named Sunny and Dawn, respectively. You should come by and see them soon!"

Whoops!! Sorry! >_<

Grayday confirmed he was speaking of Valette, but Steady relaxed a little when he likened her to his sister. Unless Grayday was into some weird stuff, Steady didn't think he'd get any competition from his brother. A smile spread across his maw as the other male confessed his feelings about the pack. I'm truly happy that you feel that way. I certainly don't regret my decision to allow Amber and your pups here. They fit in like they were meant to be here, he replied genuinely. 

He smiled at the names. It fits your family, he said. Sunny and Dawn, he replayed in his mind. I'll do that, though I may wait a little longer, to make sure Amber is okay with it. He didn't want to upset the the mother so soon after giving birth.

Though he'd originally come with something on his mind, Day submitted easily to these more pleasant topics. He was touched to hear that Steady cared so much for his family, but Day had known already that this would be the case. The alpha was too good a man not to. Still, it was always nice to hear.

He whisked his tail in agreement at Steady's next words, giving a short pant of a laugh. "That's probably a good idea," he admitted, a little sheepishly. "She's a fiery woman, Amber."

He hadn't noticed it when they met, but it had become abundantly clear since he'd gotten her back. He sure knew how to pick them.

"So... what have you been up to?" he asked, hedgingly. "I've noticed you and Valette share a den, now."

With much restraint, he managed to keep his tone neutral and noncommital.

The conversation seemed to flow a little more easily as it went on, and the topic changed to Valette. He nodded in confirmation that he was, in fact, sharing a den with her. Well, since we're both raising Keoni and Nikai, it just seemed to make sense, he replied. At the time, it was simply a convenience that she moved into the den with him and the pups, but as time went on, it turned into something else.

It's funny, you know, he continued on. How one might go from seeing someone as friend, but then... Things sort of develop. Steady wasn't all that great at talking about his love life. He and Niita had been mostly private, except when it came to his jealousy. Everyone could see that part of it. With Valette, he didn't know that jealousy. It was more like a easy trust that they had built a foundation on, and Steady didn't feel insecure about anything regarding her. Then again, no one had shown any interest in her, either, that he knew of.

"Yeah," said Day, thinking of bright green eyes and a girl's happy shout - I'm gonna go catch bugs! Want to help? (There are days that he can't even remember a time when he didn't love her, but when he thinks back to this day, he knows that he couldn't have - not before they met. And he knows that, before that day, he'd been a pack of one, and after, he had a family.) "Yeah, it's a funny thing," he agreed, but privately, he thought that maybe it wasn't funny at all.

Snapping out of it, Day finally caught up to the situation enough to ask: "Are things developing, then?"

Part of him thought that he maybe shouldn't pry, but the other half knew how much he'd wished he could talk to someone about the problem with Adeline. Although, from what he knew of the two wolves, he thought the whole thing would be infinitely easier than whatever problems he had.

Steady had no idea the feelings Grayday had developed for his daughter. And it was probably a good thing, as he saw the other male as his brother, and not someone who might have a romantic relationship with Adeline. Steady would seriously have a tough time accepting that.

He gave a shrug to his Gamma's question. They are on my end. I'm not quite sure about her's, but she seems... I dunno, she doesn't pull away from me when I nuzzle her or anything like that. But, we haven't really talked about it. The comment about having each other's pups didn't count to the Alpha, as it didn't seem like a very serious conversation. It had been said in passing, and it wasn't something he would ever hold Valette to since they weren't technically mates.

Day gave a little hum of acceptance, not quite sure how to help, in this situation. It wasn't really his business, and he wasn't sure his advice would be appreciated, even if he had any to give. To Day, romance had always seemed like a risk. It could upset the balance of the pack, it could get you thrown out on your ass, and it could even kill, if a girl got pregnant at the wrong time. But Steady was the alpha, so perhaps he didn't have to worry about the same kinds of things. Perhaps he'd found his perfect storm - the second in a lifetime - and taking a leap of faith was all that was needed to ensure eternal happiness.

"I can't pretend to know anything about romance, but I know Valette's a good girl," said Day, perhaps a bit thoughtlessly. "You and her - I can see it."

And he could. They were good leaders - good partners. And what was a mate if not a partner? His mother used to say that Dad was her partner first and her mate second. That they took care of each other, watched each other's backs, and that everything else was just white noise in between. It seemed like Steady and Valette had the important parts down, and if there was something else to it, Day was sure it would come naturally.

He smiled when Grayday admitted he could see Steady and Valette together. Yeah? he asked, the image running through his head. He and Valette, nuzzling, kissing, confessing their love, leading the pack side by side, their pups running around like little mirror images of themselves. A goofy grin appeared on his maw as he left the real world and enjoyed his fantasy for a moment.

Coming back, he chuckled. I suppose I can see it, too, he admitted. Now, he just needed to tell her. I've never been in this situation before, though. It's a little precarious, with Nikai and Keoni. I suppose, though, it would be more natural than awkward. Do you think? he asked. They were already a family. Steady and Valette's coupling would really only solidify that, right?

Day took a moment to feel sorry for himself, all this talk of 'precarious situations' sort of getting to him. But at the end of the day, love was love, and if there was one lesson that this whole mess with Adeline had taught him, it was that, sometimes, what you had just had to be enough. He didn't know if this waiting game would lead to anything, or if it would all blow up in his face. Day just knew that he loved her, and as much as it hurt him, as much as it raked like fang across his flesh, he was glad that he did.

 "It sounds like you've got all the important stuff down. Your relationship is strong, and to me, it does seem like becoming mates is the natural next step," Day agreed. "But if - somehow - it isn't, just remember that love is about the other person. It's only precarious if you forget that, and start putting your own hurt feelings first. It's only precarious if you make it."

Steady listened and digested Grayday's words, understanding what he was saying. If Valette refused him, he knew he would need to keep a straight face, and carry on with the task of raising Keoni and Nikai as if nothing ever happened—no matter how much it might break his heart. 

But, Steady was hopeful. He felt the signs were there, and everything was looking bright. While it would come as a shock if Valette rejected him, he choose to think that she wouldn't. He gave his Gamma a smile, reaching over to nudge him. Thanks for the advice, Brother, he said genuinely. I will definitely keep it in mind. As he trotted away, his heart a little lighter, he felt fully prepared to take on whatever might happened between he and his lovely Beta.