Sun Mote Copse always.

Although the prospect of kerflumpling (whether awake or asleep) was always tempting, so was the thought of some uninterrupted quiet time together. So when Finley relented, kissing his cheek and then repositioning herself next to him, he grinned and huffed a happy sigh as he settled his own chin between his forepaws.

Sounds good to me, he agreed, shifting only slightly in order to make sure that they were touching. Like a child, he knew he would sleep better with the warmth of Finley’s presence pressed against him.

<3333

Sleep well, my girl <3

That was not the day they died.

It wasn't a strange thing for the pair of them to sneak off together to laze about, snuggling and teasing and talking idly with each other. The conversations about old friends and old memories weren't unusual for wolves that had lived so long and experienced so much. There were many loved ones for them to appreciate, many for them to miss, and little else left for them to do in the world other than think fondly on them all and love each other so completely.

Finley and Elwood wouldn't die for another few weeks. Just a few days really, in the grand scheme of things--days that would be spent doing much the same as this one. They had no idea how near to the end they both were, but it would have changed little about how they'd spend their remaining time. After all, they were Finwood. They'd had their share of drama and heartbreak, good times and bad, wins and losses. There had been laughs and loving eye rolls. Tickles, nuzzles and kerflomples, and at the end of every day, a shared nose boop just like the one that had preluded the start of their romance. It was how they had lived, and how they would live until their time ran out.

Fin smiled as her mate shifted beside her and she tucked herself against him, easily finding that perfect spot where she fit most snugly. She closed her eyes and imagined they were back at the Caldera, lying together on the grassy slope that had been their first home together. It was easy to picture, wrapped in Elwood's scent and embraced by his warmth. Her Twig. Her Bear. Her heart and her soul.

As she fell asleep, she had a single, coincidental, thought--that this was how she wanted to die. Maybe that was what had started the timer. More likely, it had been running her entire life and that was simply the moment when she first acknowledged it. Or maybe it was just the first time she'd ever considered death not as an adversary, but as another step along the road. And she and Elwood had had a long, wonderful road. So much so that she had no fear left for continuing along it, no matter where it might lead, or where it might end.

Either way, she slept.