Bearclaw Valley So It's Everyone Changing, Never Be the Same

The man watched her reactions to him closely, like he was analyzing her—which he pretty much was. She was still the same old Scarlett, though considerably larger than when he'd last seen her. While some might feel bad for doing as he had, he could not bring himself to. True, he loved her and his unborn children, but he did not regret his decisions. When someone you care for seemingly comes back from the dead, you want to be there to see it for your own eyes. He'd needed to go, to confirm the whispers and put his mind at ease, and he had. He could not feel bad for it, his bond with his family preventing him from doing so. He would have done the same if it were Scarlett in his sister's place, anyways. Still, he wasn't so sure if she would understand why he needed to leave, and he couldn't hold that against her. They were raised in two different ways, under different circumstances, and shared different bonds with their blood-relatives. As she laid on her side, though, he was reminded that his family up North were no longer the only family he had. He had those of the Brotherhood, he had Scarlett, and he had his soon-to-be-born children. Those he'd grown up alongside were not his only family anymore, and he knew that. He accepted that. “I do apologize for leaving like I did,” he informed her, eyes following her every movement. Kove was both amazed, and a bit disgusted, by the appearance of her stomach. Amazed by the fact that he knew what caused the growth, but disgust whenever he could see little movements. That was a very weird thing to witness, and was probably something he couldn't get use to even if he wanted to. It was just... too weird to look at, and yet he couldn't move his gaze too far from it.

His attention was diverted back to her face when she started speaking once again, his ears cupping forward slightly as he heard what was said. First litter—implying she wished for more in the future, which confused the hell out of him. The appearance of her stomach looked painful, almost, and she was prepared to do it again. It was insane, in his mind, but then again, he didn't actually know how she felt physically. “I am glad I didn't miss their birth, either,” the Inuit returned, doing his best to keep his gaze on her face. When she started speaking, however, keeping his eyes on her face was no longer a difficult task. The tone she took caused his ears to fall back, his expression showing he was rather shocked to hear her speak in such a way. Could he really blame her, though? The albino had every right to be both angry and upset with him. “I had to leave,” he started, using as calm of a tone as he was able. “I had heard rumors of my sister, one who I'd believed to be dead. The rumors spoke of her being alive, and I had needed to look into it myself. I had needed to see with my own two eyes if she was truly still alive or not. I will apologize for leaving in the way that I did, but I will not apologize for leaving entirely.” He couldn't be sorry for wanting to know if his sister was alive or not. When she went on about his role as a father, and of their relationship, he couldn't keep himself from pulling his ears back entirely, showing that he was far from appreciative of her words and tone. Visiting home had changed him a bit, it'd reminded him of his roots and where he truly came from, and his way of acting up there followed him when he'd returned back to the valley. “I will be a father for them,” the man stated, a bit offended that she would even consider the possibility of him not being one to them. They were his children, and she his lover. He could not change that even if he wanted to—and he certainly didn't. As she neared the end of her words, and her tone changed, he let out a low sigh. “I love you, too, Scarlett,” Kove told her, lowering himself onto his stomach in order to touch his nose to her cheek once more. “I will not be leaving again. If I ever have to, though, I will tell your properly so you do not worry. You need to know that, in the end, I will always return to be by your side.” It was a fact, rather than a simple statement. He could not leave her, not ever. He would even fight for her, if such a thing ever arose. It was she who he loved, and always would love no matter what.