Sun Mote Copse First light

The kisses planted on his face to take away the tears were met with ticklish chuckles. Wiffle then brazenly explained what she meant, exactly. Eljay had, of course, perfectly understood what Wiffle had meant the first time and that was the problem. He just couldn't really believe that she would like him like that at all, really, so Eljay was beginning to wonder if he was wrong about the whole dream-thing. But everything felt so real, including the mixed feeling in his stomach because he just loved Wiffle so much and he was terrified to find out that she might not quite like him in the same way.

But then she said it. That she wanted to be mates with him, officially and all that. He blinked in utter surprise and confusion. With me? he asked to double-check, even though there was obviously no one else there (but Elfie and Weejay) that she could be talking to. Then after the initial confusion, he happily said -- Yes! -- only for the fear of rejection to settle in again. Eljay carefully asked: Are you sure that's what you want? I mean, I don't want you to be mates with me just because you think we have to, for the pups, or, or because of what others might think otherwise. Eljay looked earnestly at Wiffle then. He wanted to say, I want you to be mates with me because you love me the way that I love you, but he just couldn't manage the words to actually come out of his throat.