Duck Lake Snuck Out Like A Teen

@Howl

She was afraid of the 'thing' follwing her. Since her talk with Grayday, it had not become worse in anyway, or grown. Whatever it was. Part of her still thought it was stress, from something. But, she knew something, or rather someone, who had taken off some stress from her shoulders, just by talking. And she wasn't sure if it was her younger, more mischievous state of mind, or just the need to see someone who had been nice to her, but Heartha left. 

It had been a week, and upon agreement, this was where she would meet with Howl. So, she howled for Howl, then waited. Laying in the same position that Howl had found her, looking down at the water and her reflection.

Howl had been in the area when he heard the sound of a familiar howl. He had never heard the howl before but the voice sounded familar. He was also expecting the call and galloped over to where the two had meet for the first time. Just like the first time they had meet, he found her staring off into the water. Their conversation relayed back in his mind and for a moment he though it might be funny to recreate that moment. But he thought otherwise in the end and decided to instead say, "Hello gorgious. How have you been?" 

He rembered that she had called him handsome last time they spoke and wanted to return the compliment.

Heartha saw out of the corner of her eye that Howl had arrived. Once he reached her, she lifted her head and offered a small smile. "Howl" she said in greeting. Then her small smile half disappeared. She recalled her own conversation with Grayday. 

"It's been...slow." She wasn't exactly sure she should share her experience, the thoughts that she was becoming crazy. She did not want to scare Howl, so instead she went to changing the subject. "And what of you? You don't look too bad yourself."

She greeted him with a small smile, but it seemed to go away and Howl wasn't sure why. But he couldn't really tell if anything was wrong, but it didn't seem as severe as when they first meet. Slow didn't seem good by maybe she had just been relaxing since he had saw her last and taking things slow was better for her. She asked how he was doing to which he responded : "Kinda fast actually. I've been traveling way too much in such a short time. I'm glad I'm able to relax and talk to you today." he said smileing at her.

Heartha was glad he was doing fine. Then, she felt that she could trust him enough. Either that, or she was too trusting. She couldn't know which it was. "Howl...Lately, I've had something weird going on...I think it's stress, or something. But it's been going for for a bit." She smiled up at him. She didn't feel stressed at the moment. And whatever was following her, it did not seem to be around when he was. 

"Yet, I don't feel stressed around you" she added. "And I thank you for that. For coming, meeting me here." She stopped herself from saying anymore. She felt she said enough. Then she made a nervous little laugh. "I'm not even supposed to be out here. I'm supposed to be with the pack." Coming out here, against the words, or rather advice of another, it made her feel young again.

Howl became worried for a moment as Heartha becan to talk of stress, or something else causing such stress and anxiety. She didn't go into too much detail, but she let him know that his company seemed to help. This put a smile on Howl muzzle, that fact that he was helping her in any way made him happy. Ofter a moment she seemed to half heartedly laughed and talked about how she wasn't supposed to be here.

He moved closer to her just hairs away. He looked down at her smiling and said, "Thank you for calling me. I know sometimes it's not easy to go against your pack, even for just a quick outing." still looking down at her, into her eyes. "But I'm happy you can be here for today, and I'm happy I can be with you, especially if I'm helping you in any way with whatever it is that it going on." 

Heartha was different he though, in someway. He was developing feelings for her, which he had done before. But they weren't feelings of lust as he had sometimes had in the past. When he was with her he wasn't thinking about if they would end up sleeping together that day. Though he wouldn't be against it, all his focus was on her and how she was doing and the talks they had.

Heartha felt her tail flurry as he came nearer, and her heart flutter. Even her face felt a little heated. It always happened wuhen someone she liked, which she still wasn't entirely sure on, got closer physically. 

She gave a shy smile. She then felt a question coming up in the back of her throat, one she let come out. "What you said last time...about what I wanted, and what you said about what you could do...did you really mean that?" She didn't even think that her question could be coming off as selfish, not anymore. She wanted it more than anything, before the chance could slip out from her reach.

He was confused for a moment, remembering thier past conversation. It had been said at the beginning and almost said as a joke, but not so much anymore. Then he remembered looked back at her with a surprised look and simply saying, "Oh." It wasn't that he didn't want to. Heartha was beautiful, but it seemed the thought had slipped his mind as they talked about other things. Things about their families and other personal things.

His confused face was then replaces with a small side smile. "Just so I know we are on the same page, you are talking about... puppies... right?"

Heartha gave a small nervous chuckle, sitting up. "Yes, I mean puppies! What else could I mean?" She waited a response to that small question, before adding onto it. "So...did you?" She scooted an inch in his direction across the ground, still sitting. Trying to keep his gaze fixed with hers as best she could. She wanted to see his expression, to try and tell if he meant it.

Howl joined Heartha's laugh once she finished her first statement. It made him nervious for some reason. As he stated to her before, he had done it before but never intentionally. It may have been on his mind, but past experiences had never been this direct. Making this an almost a visa versa situation. She then asked again if he ment what he said, if he could get her pregnant so she could have puppies. This made Howl snap out of his confused state to look at her when he had previously been looking off over the water. Looking back at her, he remembered why she was asking. He smiled lightly and confirmed to her, "Yes, Heartha, I would be glad to do that for and with you."

Howl's answer earned a tail wag, and a very thankful smile. She let a yip slip out of excitement, then nudged him out of thanks with her nose. "Thank you, Howl! Thank you!" She felt she could start crying tears of joy, and forgot entirely of thoughts of being crazy, or anything like that. "My heat. It could be soon...I think. I feel like it might come soon."

Heartha seemed to squeal which made Howl chuckle. He could tell that she was older then him from appearances, but in spirit it seemed she was much younger. She then nuzzled him with her nose and talked about her up coming heat. He enjoyed seeing her happy and smiling, especially when it seemed like every time they meet up she was feeling down. Her smile was so attractive to him. 

He then nuzzled his head into her neck and sniffed around one of her ears. Speaking softly he asked, "Is there anything you were thinking of doing in the mean time?" he flirted.

Heartha paused on that. She wasn't sure what they could do from now till then. It made her think. And it took some time, but she eventually got an idea in her mind. "Well, we could...talk?" she suggested. That was the best idea that she had, that came to mind.

"About...family? Pasts? Anything that you fancy talking about?" She gave an interested look, wondering what exactly was going on in that mind of Howl's.

It wasn't the answer he was expecting and a part of him was disapointed that she didn't even aknowledge his advances. But he didn't want to be rude to her and one of the things he was looking forward to, he would just have to wait alittle longer. She suggested talking and when she did he moved away from her. Not far away but they were no longer touching and he took a few steps into the water before turning to face her direction. The water was a little cool but not that cold that day and he bent his head down to take a drink. 

"Sure. We can do that. What would you like to talk about?" They both knew personal things about eachother and he wasn't sure what else there would be to talk about. He was used to things going in one direction or another. Acceptance or refusal, not this inbetween state of approval, but under conditions and only at a curtain time. A part of him wanted to be direct as she had been to him, but he thought it would be disrespectful to come right out and ask for intimacy.

Heartha tipped her head anxiously when he moved away. Had she said something wrong? She kept her eyes on him, following him as he went into the water. But when he asked what there was to talk about, she went right to speaking. 

"Well...the first time we met, you mentioned other females, and that you never stayed...Was it by choice?" There was a reason behind this question. Had they turned him down, or had he left by his own accord each time? She hoped that it did not touch to close to his personal bubble so she quickly added, "If you are comfortable with answering."

She went back into his past which he didn't mind much seeing as how he didn't view his past as bad. She seemed to be interested in the past, having asked him about his kids and now about the females he had encountered. He had touched on this before slightly, but he was willing to go into further detail. "I don't mind." He said in response to her question of if he felt comfortable. 

"I suppose there was a choice, but it was a choice between my constantly moving family or the females that I had only meet a few times. There were also times where they were just flings that I never saw again. There may have been one or two I would have stayed with for a longer time, but my family really needed me." He got silent after that for a moment. This made him think back to his parents who sent him off for his own good. He had hoped they had decided to join a different stronger pack rather then fighting to their end.

Heartha was glad he did not mind, and upon inspection, she found no sign of uncomfortable feelings within Howl on the outside. He was genuine, and Heartha was liking that about him, being genuine. And a gentleman. She felt her flutter a bit at just thinking about that. She always fell for a gentleman.

She understood what it meant to move around a lot, after the fall of the Golden Glade. They had done nothing but move, until making it to Morningside. Since then, they had lost many on the way. "That's very good...Choosing your family, because they needed you." But upon their first meeting, Howl had said he had nowhere. So then, where was his family? She did not think to ask.


"I wish I was same, but any family I had left, is gone" She found herself sighing. "My first mate...When our pack was attacked, he ran. My son went after him, but I doubt either had survived. My mate had left long before any of us realized it." She had always thought him courageous, kind, caring. But in the end, he was a coward. "I had been careful with finding another. Then I had this small fling with the alpha male of another pack...Which led me here. My litter with him, they disappeared."

It seemed as though if Heartha had been put in Howl's place when he encounter his past interests, that she would have made the same decision he did. He liked how they view things similarily, or at least shared some common values as far as family went. But as she went over he family again and this time in more detail, it made him feel bad. Both for her and because he could hardly compare the pain he felt not knowing about his family to her, who knew almost for sure that all of her family was gone.

There wasn't anything he could do about what had happened to her in the past, other then talk about how it could/would be better in the future. The past two mates she had either left or were no longer with her and all the children she had from them had had similar fates. He wanted to know that he would be there for her when ever he could. This brought him out of his previously, semi pouty mood to tell he "I'm sorry Heartha. Someone like you didn't and doesn't deserve anything like that happening to them."

He came out of the water which had been up to his ankles. He was standing face to face with her now, looking into her eyes as he said, "I want to be there for you however and whenever I can." He brushed his head against hers. "Ours will be better." he told her. There was no way that Howl would know the future of their children assuming they followed through with their plan, but he hoped for the best and wanted the best for Heartha more then for himself.

Heartha's ears drooped low down by the sides of her head. She kept her gaze down to the water after she spoke. Then, she lifted her chin up to meet Howl's with a small smile. And her tail wagged behind her. 

She moved closer to Howl, going to lean her head on his shoulder. He was being so caring to her, so comforting. "Thank you...You're a great guy, you know? I'm starting to think that getting to know you better will be a great experience" she said, giving a hint of a wink. She usually got like this when her heat was coming closer.

Heartha leaned in a placed her head along Howl's shoulder. Looking over her shoulder he sould see her tail wagging and his did the same. He sat down staying close in their embrase as his tail continued to sway and brush against the ground. She complimented his character asking a rhetorical question to which he simply replied "You deserve it."

The next thing she said was interesting. As she talked about getting to know Howl she said "will" which implied that she may have been talking about their planned upcomming events. Howl saw a light wink out of the corner of his eye. It seemed as though she would lightly flirt, but she also seemed to want to wait till their next meeting. "Oh Heartha... I can't wait to know you better." he said lightly nibbling into the scruff of her neck with a hot breathe.

Heartha sighed happily as she leaned up against Howl. This was something she could get used to again, something she already was getting used to. Despite having been hurt in every relationship she had, she just could not turn away from it all. She never could, like she was drawn to it all. "I wish I could just sit here...watch the sunset." She dipped her paw into the water, causing ripples.

Heartha just wanted to sit here for the rest of the day. But, no doubt the others would be questioning. That was something she did not want to to risk, thinking that she would be forbidden from her current state of mind. She stood up slowly. "I'm sorry, but I should be getting back...they might get worried about me because-" she almost said she thought she was going crazy, that she wanted to keep to herself. "I will be back...I don't know when." She started off, but stopped. Quickly, she turned and gave Howl a quick lick on his cheek before retreating. "Something to remember me by" she said before going off.

They were embraces and it was comfortable to Howl and hopfully for Heartha aswell. It was strange for him, wanting to be with her for mearly her company. But it didn't seem like that was going to last for long as Heartha began talking about how she needed to go back to her pack. He hated hearing the fact that he had to let her go. He might have thought about going with her, but he didn't know if he should. After all their plan was to give her puppies and they hadn't talked about anything more. 

But before she left she licked his cheek and then ran away. He though it was strange but he knew that she didn't mean to hurt him by leaving. Maybe she ran so that she wouldnt have to say goodbye. He knew she would call for him when she came into heat and that it would be soon. He just hoped that soon would be just that soon.