Firestone Hot Springs Gotta Keep The Moral Up

Setting: Night — 2200. 70 degrees — clear skies.
Set on the southwestern border closer to Whitewater Gorge.

@Derg

They settle down after a hot day of walking. The land is so flat and the hot springs hardly have anything but dead gnarled up trees. The stream emitting from the warm pools of crystalline water don’t help that much more either. He’s thankful he’s almost done shedding his dense undercoat. Still some fluffy patches stick to him, forcing him to groom himself daily. Pinching and pulling the clumps of hair clicking to the outside of his coat.

Anyhow, Donovan stands guard, unable to sleep like usual. He pads off a little way away from the group. A fair hundred feet or so to rest himself beneath a tree and gaze up at the shimmering lights above. Folding his legs, his haunches hit the ground in a sitting position and just watches them dance, basking into he sickly blue white light of the moon.

The days have been long.
Long and hot. Derg was lucky though, he had a rather thin coat that shed quickly. The bare, dry trees here were ideal for rubbing against, and he'd lost most of his coat anyway, but a good itch was in order to remove the finer hairs that clung to him.

He'd taken an early nap so he could wake up later to stand watch. They might be hunted despite getting the hell out of the blood forest.
So, he'd fallen asleep a while before sunset but now awoke when their air had started to chill, despite the springs close by.

He stood, noticing Donovan had buggered off again on one of his night walks.
He licked his lips and wandered off to find him.
A form sprawled out under a tree.
Derg approached, head low and tail waving softly.

"I found my sister here after I left my birth pack. After she left."
A small bit of information about his life. A moment in passing, a memory that shadowed this place. It was happy for him; for now. 
Maybe Donovan had memories here too. Perhaps not.
His gaze hung skywards too, watching the lights some said they could talk to.

The night is silent until Derg practically sneaks up behind him. Or maybe Donovan is so entranced with the stars he doesn’t even hear him approaching. His form does a small twitch — a jump due to the voice that startles him. He whips his head to the side to see the male come up beside him. He smiles and hums a low, “Peaches.” in exclamation. “You scared the shit out of me.”

Then he acknowledges the males statement of his sister. “I didn’t have any siblings.” He says back. “Or maybe I did, but I never met them. Why’d your sister leave?” 

He flinched, not realising he'd even snuck up on the man.
Derg hung his head low, his gaze apologetic.
A small smile rose to his face.
"Sorry," he mused.

Derg couldn't imagine being without his headstrong sister. But, if he never had her, then perhaps he'd never know either.
"She wanted better. Her own pack and stuff. I left because I was tired of the hatred."
He was tired of hating the ones who made him to terrible shit. Shit to those who didn't deserve it. Donovan...he was like that. But Derg wasn't a child anymore.

"Come on, spar with me. I promise I won't kick your guts up again." He smirked. He felt ok about the event now, not perfectly ok, but just...less guilty.

At his humbling sorry, Donovan hums back a low, “No worries.” before the other continues speaking about his sister. 

The whole conversation is vague to the bigger male, the word hatred. More importantly the sentence it’s used in. What kind of hatred? He hopes it’s not the same kind the Saints have towards other packs. He wouldn’t want Derg running away from them now.

The wonder only shows briefly on his expression as a smirk replaces it. “Promise?” Donovan teases, practically bouncing up from his spot on the ground and readying himself for battle. Planting his feet sternly and widening his stance. “Come at me then, dear.” 

Spar thread

The man rises at his invitation.
Well, springs rather than rises.

Derg thought he was launching straight into an attack, so sprang backward himself, tail waving with excitement. He then processed his words, "Of course, love."
The words sprang off his tongue before he could realise. What would he think? Would he care?
Ahhhhh.

Derg sprang for the man before he could try and say anything about it.
Love.
Ugh.
He went to nip his cheek, but fell past him, failing to catch the man.

He’s excited for the nightly spar. He finds himself in a good mood and hums back a suggest. “You asked for it.” 

Thankfully Donovan is able to dodge the other attack. The male closes in on his face and he hardly misses him. Though faced with the opportunity to grab the quickly approaching tail he opens his mouth to grab it. Only succeeding to catch nothing but air. Leaving him open for any open attacks.

He hears snapping to his rear, but felt nothing come of it. So far, he was scot-free.
His eyes proved over the man's fur. The beautiful patterns of caramel and black woven in beauty.
He dove for a rear leg, but the damage was already done.

He'd been distracted for too long, and by the time Derg's slow move had taken place, Donovan had moved, letting Derg eat dirt.
But how could he not be so distracted?

Donovan grins and a surly chuckle escapes him. “Careful, princess, wouldn’t want you getting hurt now.” He chides playfully even though he’s in no room to do so. None of his hits have landed either and they seem to just be dancing around each other. The his attacks missing aren’t disappointing though, Donovan is still having a grand ol’ time.

So with a fire in his eyes he darts forward, kicking up dirt on his way to the other wolf, he opens his dangerous jaws, shutting them onto the side of Derg’s neck. Not ok hard, but enough to securely keep a hold on him. He attempts to push him back by planting his hind legs into the dirt and pushing. He will hold this until the other breaks out of his grip.

He liked their dance.
It didn't seem like either was trying to do much to the other really.
They were playing with each other.

Well, up until the beast took hold of his neck.
He was pushed back, and Derg let himself flop to the ground. He didn't want to kick him - he'd promised not to - and he didn't have the weight to throw him over.
So Derg gently pulled him closer, wrapping his forelegs around the mans chest.
Perhaps he'd let go.

When the male flops to the ground Donovan follows, allowing his upper body to lower with the motion. For the moment, his teeth are still attached. Though surely they wouldn’t stay that way for long. When Derg wraps limbs around him in a type of hug, Donovan is most definitely surprised. A quirked circular brow and his golden hues flick to Derg’s face. A smile forms on his maw and soon enough Donovan is slowly releasing his throat.

Canary orbs meet Derg’s face and he doesn’t stare at the scared half at his face. He just looks at him normally, well, except for the devilish glint in his eyes. “Tryna give me a hug, peaches?” He asks in a throaty reply. “All you had to do was ask.”

The words are suggestive, as is the glint in his eyes. Though Donovan is usually messing around, if the look and tone doesn’t give away the fact that the brindled male isn’t deterred by Derg’s gender then he doesn’t know what would.

The physical teasing doesn’t last too long, Donnie likes to play with his food after all. So, he goes to step off of him. Languid and his motions, his eyes only leaving Derg’s own when he’s completely off of him.

All you had to do was ask.
His heart lept up his throat, nails softly curling. His paws pressed against his brindle fur.

He let out a soft, low, throaty hum. He didn't care.
His eyes drew him in, a suggestion on of what Derg desired.
He could let Ronnie go, he realised. It was possible for him to have a different path in life. One...without Ronnie, yes, but perhaps that was good.

Lost in his thoughts, he let Donovan slip from his arms.
The gaze broke, snapping him from the thoughts, and he rolled onto his side, letting out a shuddering sigh. "What? Don't wanna cuddle?" He asks, feigning his hurts as greater than it was with a smile.

All the telltale signs that the male actually liked what Donovan said have now been checked off. No wonder he was so disgusted by Nemisis’ lewd display that one day. For Donovan, this moment solidified what he previously hadn’t known. If the claws curling on his shoulders and that breathy moan were anything to go by, he’d say that he rightly didn’t expect this. Still, a pleasant turn of events it is.

When he takes his eyes off of him they’re just beckoned right back when a shaky exhale comes from the other male. Donovan can’t resist, allowing his golden hues to flick back to Derg he smiles deviously down to him. His head is level with his body and he takes a step closer, maintaining heated eye contact.

He releases a low snicker, his voice sultry. “Fuck...” he hums down to him. “If you keep asking me like that, I might just have to oblige.” It isn’t so much a tease as it is a promise.

Shit.
Derg forgot that neither were really receivers. Well, it was highly unlikely.
But Donovan, Derg can bridge that unexplored gap if he so wanted to.

But not tonight, he knew. It wouldn't be tonight.
He could barely register what he was feeling. Lust. Lust came before love.
He couldn't resist the way Donovan looked at him. That deep, sultry look.

He crept forward on his belly, reaching out his nose to touch the man's muzzle.
Derg was ensnared. Captivated. And he wanted to stay.

He can tell by the way that the caramel wolf gazes to him that he’s feeling some type of way. Donovan would be lying if he didn’t too. He remains frozen in his spot as Derg inches closer, crawling towards him to touch hesitantly. His nose touches his muzzle, it almost tickles. The feeling doesn’t deter the larger of the two at all, he gazes dangerously down to him.

A back tongue glints in the moonlight as he flicked it out to first lick his own chops, the action grazing Derg’s nose. Then Donovan is creeping closer he breezes right past his cheek to settle at Derg’s ear. “You’re playing a dangerous game, peaches.” He hums. “I like it.” 

With his shameless admission, he gives a nip and bite to the area there. Lingering for only a moment. He just might pull back and leave the male to his internal demons. He loves this game. He loves the teasing and the chase. He won’t go any further tonight. Just for the sake of playing with Derg further.

He let himself linger there, not yet snapped away.
God, it'd be crushing if Donovan told him to fuck off right now.

His tongue tickled.
Briefly passing across his nose by accident. Probably by accident. 
Then, he drew in, making Derg completely still.
And his soft, deep voice sent tingles down his spine, all the way to his tail tip.

He lifted his muzzle up to Donovan's own ear, letting him nibble him.
"I'm glad you do." He replied.
He let his muzzle fall again, looking into the mans ever so captivating eyes,

With a quirky smirk and a huff of breath that could be considered a laugh, he pulls back. Giving him a sly wink, he turns his back on Derg going to walk closer to the rest of the pack. “Come on, peaches, let’s go back. Hopefully I can sleep better now.” He chuckles lowly, expecting him to follow. 

He begins padding back to the camp with a whole lot on his mind. More importantly so, the fact that what just happened actually happened and he doesn’t regret it one bit. Hell, he’d do it again. Now that Pandora’s box is open, Donovan knows he’ll be coming back for seconds. He’s almost anticipating it.

Come on.
The words made his stomach drop through the earth all the way to the other side.
He didn't want to stop.
He wanted to be toyed with and to toy with Donovan all night.

Hell, even if Nemisis found them he wouldn't care.
If she gave a shit at all; though he suspected she really would.
His heart thundered in his chest, so hard he thought it may break his rib cage.
Hell, he didn't even feel like this with Ronnie, as much as he loved him.

A few moments passed before Derg got up to follow Donovan, trotting to catch up. Not hurriedly, he didn't want to seem desperate.
He hoped they were ok. He hoped he hadn't pissed the man off or anything.
No, he was overthinking surely.

Derg just hoped it could happen again.​