He remembered the day of their birth, and how he paced with père endlessly. How there was a greater beat in his chest that he didn't quite understand. Why he felt that way, he didn't know. Then, it was also true that Thibault didn't know why he felt a lot of ways. This one was..fickle, and strange. When maman was thirsty, water was brought to her before she needed to get up. What more was there to do? For him? Besides help maman, and he would do so at her call, and it was as simple as that.
The sun said goodbye to little Jadou that morning. Blocked when it appeared before his eyes, and then Thibault saw the mass of moving fur that made him feel so much bigger than he'd ever known to be. He'd seem them very few, but today he saw shiny blue eyes jump at him as his body and head blocked the entrance.
He had a brother! He'd known he did. Two brothers! And two sisters! The twins that looked much like himself, the girl who was very loud, and then this one-- the one who snorted and huffed at even the light. Even he, once upon a time, remembered wishing to stay under maman. The boy stood stupid and stiff.
he was just rousing from a nap when the sunlight hit his face. milky blues eyes popping open, then suddenly squinting; he let out a tiny, explosive sneeze, shivering and sniffling a few times afterward for good measure.
a Big One was here.
he slowly wriggled toward the shadowy figure, but only slightly; he was loath to leave his siblings at his mother's breast, especially his twin. he glanced at lucette now, feeling a strange sense of guilt.
his nub of a tail thump thump thumped upon the ground, excited but unsure.
In one moment, he was examining the new life of his brothers. They were tiny. He felt as though he was not supposed to be around them. How could he? When he was so big, and they were so small. When they could run through his single steps. Jadou crawled closer, and surely he would stay there. No, no. Jadou didn't stop there. Jadou continued to get closer, until his mouth was piercing into his foot! Behind him, Lafayette. Each day, Thibault had ingrained all of their new names into his mind. Maman, Thibault wanted to call. To ask her how to handle the... painful chewing! Why did they do that? What was the point? If Jadou bit, did that mean he did not like him? Or did it mean that Lafayette did not like him, because he did not come near and Jadou did.
Then, Thibault dropped to his stomach, staring doe-eyed at Jadou, and then to Lafayette who waddled just behind. They had faces that made the boy feel all sorts of warm. Like he needed to just stare at them for hours and hours, and behind his own bum (prompted by Lafayette's), his tail thumped around. Thibault rasped out, despite how wimpy he became at all the teething, a, "Bonjou-"
while jadou explored the tufts of the big one's paw, lafayette studied his face. verdant eyes that matched some of the sights filtering into the den. dark fur like the shadows around them.
bonjou— lafayette crudely mouthed the words, silent, unable to form them yet.
his small face split in a gummy smile and he rolled onto his back, legs splayed and twitching like a dead bug. he looked upside down at the adult, tiny brow furrowed as he contemplated this new being.
very much like mother—but so different, too.