Blackfeather Woods thinking out loud

Damien had succeeded for a second to induce a state of peace of mind after resting his head on his paws. He wouldn't call it meditation, but every now and then, clearing his mind from all thoughts was very useful and helped him cope with all the pain and emotional overload he'd been through the last couple months. Breathing in. Holding. Breathing out. It was almost impossible for Damien to forget about the rest of the world, but for those short seconds, focusing on his breath was what kept him from breaking down. Until the silence was broken.

Cicero's voice sent an electric shot through Damien's spine, making him jump awake. It was awkward finally looking at his brother after avoiding him for so long, and it could probably be felt in the air. Damien looked at Cicero in panic for a moment before retaking composure and looking away. For a moment, Damien was confused about his brother's words. He agreed with the fact that love could never be wrong, but he couldn't avoid thinking Cicero was confessing a love for him other that brotherly, which made the young male uncomfortable. He wasn't sure he could return that kind of feeling to his own litter-mate, if it was the case, and the fact that they almost engaged sexually just made everything more awkward and confusing.

Damien had had a lot of time to think about what happened, and the only explanation he had was that Damien was not himself the moment things went weird. Damien had never even considered touching his brother that way, and when it happened it hadn't been planned, it just happened.

"I agree," woofed Damien, finally having gathered enough courage to speak, "we're brothers no matter what, and we will always have that." Damien's voice was distant and his words calculated. He was trying to talk as if nothing had happened, and it was easier for Damien to pretend things were perfectly normal than facing the facts and the possibility of losing his relationship with Cicero.