Bitterroot Valley drag me under

twitch sucks in a breath when he takes steps closer, just long enough to give her away. all of him chips away the numb shell she’d been holding onto since she left. long fall still hurt, he had said. she knows it.

her ears dipped toward him, slow, almost shy. rain slicked her fur flat along her nape, gathering at the hollow of her throat. tentatively, she leans into him so that their shoulders brush and so her nose bumps his. its a fleeting touch she does not cling to, retracting quickly.

on top of it all, he had missed her—at least she thought so. that fact unravels something warm and soft in her chest, enough to give thanks for. it settles well in her heart, and the bashful smile cutting across her face is proof.

"right, got it." she whispered there. her tail gave one quiet sweep behind her, betraying her relief. she collects herself then; "so, what's happened while i was gone?"