Golden Glade sober

At first, Hawthorn was happy to play -- but when Alder started to tickle him, the dark boy turned from playful to almost fearful. At once, the King stopped, keeping his paws to each side of his son but flirmly on the earth. 

                    "Sorry! Sorry!"

Confused, the father could only give Hawthorn a wide-eyed and amazed look of "what the actual fuck is going on". When the flailing began, and Alder realized he had to do something, he decided to reach down and lick softly at the boys face, ears, paws -- Aspen's grooming seemed to calm them, right? He didn't know what the little lumps wanted, even if he had done this before. They were so much different than Lily.