Ouroboros Spine [m] goldstone

<3

her arms went around him; she pressed their flanks together in an embrace. chickadee had no frame of reference for any of this. maia and eljay were the love story by which she lived her romantic thoughts; they had been together so long and raised so many kids and it was what she wanted for herself.
but while kivaluk's pain was not relatable, it was not as if chickadee couldn't feel the agony pouring off her intended mate. and so she only held him while she searched for what to say, nuzzling his cheek and the side of his ear, his neck, his shoulder.
"it's hard not to feel replaced. why shouldn't you? he wasn't there, and now he is." her eyes searched upward at the lines of his profile; her heart thudded a little harder at how handsome she thought he was.
"and he's chosen someone literally close to home, which means he is going to stick around. like he decided for you. i don't think they'd blame you for being angry. i don't blame you either."
"think of it like this: you're both starting over. even if he screws it all up, that sounds like what he's doing. and so are you. you're a man with a good job and a lot of respect. you're going to be married and be a fa —" oh, goodness, they hadn't talked about that, and her cheeks burned like volcanic ash beneath her peach fur. "anyway, um, whatever he chooses to do, he's — he can't change who you became when he was away. and if he up and leaves again, then there's a whole bunch of people who will see the truth you always knew."