Redsand Canyon led by a beating heart

She's so soft for him -cries-

Entering her fourth week, Aquene could start to feel the physical differences. It was the way her body started to become more tender, and the way her sides started to swell. Her scent had changed to confirm her pregnancy about a week prior. Some of the nausea had started to ease up, and even now she found herself with a little more energy than she’d had the past few weeks. She was doing her best to conserve it, but between Khalys, Diesel, Ruenna’s pregnancy, and her usual healing duties it was proving difficult. She understood why her mother had never slowed down despite their warnings now. There was always so much to do.
 
She was thankful that the earlier symptoms of her pregnancy were starting to disappear. They’d been rather miserable though she’d done her best to hide that fact from everyone, including her husband. She knew how he fretted about her and she didn’t want him to worry. The sun was starting to fade across the horizon, and Aquene took that time to start making her way from the tablinum where she spent most of her day, seeking the comfort and peace that came with the den that she and @Kallik shared, desiring the closeness and sense of completion that her husband’s company left her with.

and he is soft for her <3

Every evening after he finished his last patrol, Kallik hunted in the forest near the married dens. He would return only when he had something to bring his wife. Luckily, the land here was abundant and he was fast, or he might have been hunting longer into the night.

This evening was no different, and when he came to his and Aquene's den, a rabbit hung from his lethal jaws. He was always eager to return home in the evenings; he worried after his wife, and no matter how hard she tried to hide the effect of her symptoms from him, he knew to some extent how uncomfortable she was all the time. So he tried to make their time at night as easy for her as possible. 

As the soldier made his way through the entrance, his eyes found his beautiful wife before anything else. The scutarius trotted over to her and placed the meal at her paws. Then he nuzzled and kissed her cheek. He had noticed the shift in her scent not too long ago, which meant anyone who was near Aquene would know she carried children. His possessive side was pretty smug about that, but his anxious mind saw it as another way she was vulnerable. For her sake, he pushed the thoughts away for now.

Kallik stretched and yawned before settling himself to the ground. His gaze moved over her form, checking her over, and that was when he saw the slight roundness to her sides. It was subtle, but he knew every inch of her by now, and he could certainly tell. Aquene, he murmured. If she came close, he would rub his nose along the curve of one side of her abdomen. They are growing, he said softly, both in wonder and uncertainty. Until now, there was no visible sign that their pups grew within her, but now there was proof. It reminded him that their birth was getting closer, and he worried often about that. He just wanted to get through it with all children and his wife okay.

His eyes were soft with adoration as he searched for her gaze. If she wasn't snuggled up to him already, he would make an impatient grunt and pull her to him. Kallik would nuzzle into the fur of her neck, drawing in her scent and closing his eyes. The tightness in his chest eased up as it always did in these moments. I love you, he whispered. The words came out without thought and he froze, swallowing hard against the sudden panic in his throat. He hadn't even known that love was what he felt for her until the words were spilling from his mouth. Now he knew the truth of the words. But he worried Aquene might think it was too soon. What if his admission pushed her away? His heart raced and his stomach turned as he waited for her response.

It was not long before her husband returned, a plump rabbit in his jaws. She returned his nuzzle, kissing his cheek in turn before he settled down. Normally she might ask how his day was first but the hunger gnawed at her gut and she found herself tearing into the rabbit with little delay, leaning lightly against him as she did so as she craved his close proximity. His nose ran along the side of her abdomen and she pulled back, licking her chops to clear up some of the blood lingering on her lips, a soft smile finding her features. They are growing. “I would hope so.” There was only a light tease in her voice before she nuzzled lightly at his neck. “They’re certainly making me eat Mereo out of house and home right now.” Her appetite had definitely returned.
 
The light and calming touches made it hard for her to worry about anything. It was like all of her worries left itself at the door. I love you. The words caused her heart to flutter and then skip a beat. For a moment, she didn’t respond, but then she was nuzzling him back once more. “I love you too.” She repeated the words back. She had known it for awhile, but had not said the words because she hadn’t wanted to spook him. She wanted him to find his feelings and if he were to say those words, that it was him saying them, not any kind of pressure associated with her saying it first.

Good, he answered, nipping her jaw in playful reprimand. I'm glad you feel better, he said with relief. I will start bringing you more, then. He would hunt for her maybe in the middle of the day, too. He didn't think the imperator would mind, since he understood what it meant to care for a pregnant wife.

His thoughts were racing so fast that he didn't process her answer at first. He just stared at her with surprise for a few moments. 

He recovered quickly enough, and his expression became tender. He pulled her tighter against him, as if now that the universe knew his love for her, it would yank her away. Kallik nuzzled his face into her neck and drew in her scent again. 

When he released her, the scutarius returned his attention to her belly, protectively resting his head over it. Eat. A soft demand. He would ensure she ate as much as she could, which would hopefully be the whole thing.

She couldn’t help the soft snort that escaped at his playful reprimand. She knew he was always fretting about everything. “I am relieved… in my experience, once you start to show either the nausea goes away, or it gets twenty times worse. I’m just glad mine seemed to go away.” She felt it from time to time… but it faded and she was able to eat. He hummed softly though she was distracted from the rabbit now. At first, he didn’t respond, and he seemed surprised and she worried that she had still somehow overstepped.
 
But then he was responding, nuzzling her neck as she leaned against him and buried her face into his fur, simply breathing in his scent until his soft demand broke. She let out a soft chuckle. “Right. I got distracted by a very attractive man wooing me with sweet words.” She stated with a smirk before nipping at his neck. “Eat what?” She teased before turning her head to actually eat what she knew he was talking about. Wrapping her paws around it for grip she continued to tear into it. She had little doubt she’d be able to inhale the entire thing.

I am glad, he said, nuzzling into the place where her neck met her jaw. I hate that you have felt so bad the past few weeks. There was absolutely nothing he could do to make her pregnancy symptoms go away, and he hated it. 

Then she was playing with him, calling him attractive and telling him that he had distracted her from eating. Yeah? he asked with a huff of amusement. He nuzzled his face into her nape. I cannot help it, he offered, nipping playfully below her ear. I have this beautiful wife who loves me for some reason. He was very happy that she felt the same for him as he did for her. 

But despite the heat rising in his veins, he didn't want to keep her from eating. So he rested his head over her rounded side again. How many do you think there are? he asked quietly. It wasn't often he spoke of the children growing within her. Anything else related to the pregnancy was on his mind all the time, and he was always asking after her. He brought her meals when he could and protected her while she rested. But he had never really brought up the children themselves. He was still filled with fear over being a father, and had been trying to avoid it. But he couldn't ignore it any longer; they would be here soon, and they would need him to be strong.

She smiled softly, almost sympathetically, to her husband when he spoke of how awful she had felt. She wanted to say that it was worth it to have little him’s running around just a short amount of time, but she avoiding mentioning the children. The pregnancy, she could talk about, but mentioning the children and talking about them as children made it so much more real and it made her feel horrifically unprepared. “It hasn’t been awful. I have seen much worse out of pregnancy than what I’ve gone through, believe me.” It was meant to serve as a comfort.
 
She caught the amusement and then he was nuzzling her and nipping at her and she shuddered pleasantly from his touch before leaning more against him. “You have a beautiful wife who loves you because you are kind, and just, and loyal and brave and selfless and protective and wholly deserving of my love.” She started to list what she loved about him. It was what would make him a good father as well, even if he was apprehensive.
 
She did not hesitate to tear into the rest of the rabbit, hungrily devouring it as his question filtered into her ears and she shrugged. “It’s too soon to really tell.” She posed, her nature to answer accurately as a doctor finding it’s way out before she started to hypothesize. “Maybe two? A boy and a girl... maybe one will get as annoyed and broody with Towhee as you do... imagine it, a little pup giving her those looks telling her that she's being far too Towhee in any given moment.” She answered with a soft smile, just picturing two little ones running around, maybe a healer like her, a soldier like him… except he would fret… just like he did over her.

He took some comfort in her words, though he wondered if she was downplaying things for his sake. She was feeling better now, so he supposed he could let it go, unless she was going to continue that pattern going forward. She had seen worse, and it made him wonder just what all she was risking to bring these children into the world. 

Her words made him feel warm and loved. But with those feelings came a spike of fear. She thought he was all these admirable things—but what if it turned out that he wasn't? She had this view of him now that he wasn't sure he could maintain, and that terrified him. He worried one day she would see that he was actually none of those things and leave him. Shame made him hide his face in the plush, dark fur of her neck. Hmmm, he murmured. I could say every one of those things about you. He drew in her scent and let it calm some of his anxiety. I am not sure what I would do without you, he admitted softly, almost shyly. These were very intense feelings for the soldier, and he wasn't used to allowing them space in his heart and mind. He was trying to be different for Aquene.

She informed him that it was too soon to tell how many pups they would have, though she guessed two. I would prefer sons only, he told his wife, shaking his head. I will worry about them anyway, and it will only be worse with a daughter. He didn't like the idea of some guy feeling any way towards any daughter of his. 

He did like the idea of a pup to give Towhee a hard time and it showed in the sly smile that curved his lips. The praefectus liked to push his buttons, and he liked the idea of one of his children giving her a hard time. They might be just like their lovely mother and want to learn about healing, Kallik pointed out. He wasn't sure he wanted them to be soldiers, but he supposed he wouldn't stop them if that was their path.

Aquene hummed at his statement and nuzzled lightly at his shoulder. “You never have to find out.” She knew everything would not always be smooth sailing; that was not the nature of a healthy relationship… but she would always be there and stand by him just as she knew that he would her.
 
He admitted he would prefer sons and she frowned with his reasoning. “I will worry more about sons, running off into a fight like their father.” She mused back. She had tended her brothers wounds and she had seen them cradle to grave and her heart ached at the idea of sons meeting the same fate as their uncles. Mereo was a military pack. She knew daughters could face the same fate, but she had never lost a woman to war, only the cruelty of men which she knew Mereo did not have.
 
It was true, they could want to learn about healing and she chuckled softly. “They are all going to learn at least the basics even if they do not want to… that way I know they can take care of themselves and their injuries if they’re away from us for more than a few hours.” She did not need the terror that her children were bleeding out somewhere because they did not know how to mend their own wounds. “Maybe they will all be healers and still follow Towhee around everywhere harassing her.” She smirked a little to lighten the mood.

I will do everything in my power to make sure of that, he promised her. He wasn't referring to just his protection either; he would be sure to think of her in all of his decision and he would give her whatever she needed. He had every intention of cherishing her for as long as he drew breath. The feeling he had not been able to identify before swelled in his chest, though now he knew it to be love. 

Kallik gave her a playfully pensive look. Good point, he offered along with a nip to her jaw. So sons that are healers. He smiled at his wife. They will be safest that way.

He liked that she would be teaching them the basics no matter what route they chose within Mereo. I am glad they will have you for that. He could teach them to defend themselves and she could teach them to heal themselves. Together, they would keep them as safe as possible. 

He gave an amused huff at her last words. I would like that, he said. It would be entertaining to watch them give her a run for her money.

The promise brought warmth to her heart, the adoration she already clearly had for her husband highlighting her features and seeping into her eyes as she let the safety of the statement wash over her as well. She had learned to fight thanks to the resources Mereo had for her to do so, but she had also found a protector. She had found a group of wolves who would not hesitate to defend her as one of their own and a husband who would do whatever it took to keep her safe. She counted her blessings every day that she had agreed to stay when Ruenna asked her to be Mereo’s healer. Despite it having only been a few months, it felt like a lifetime ago.
 
She chuckled softly at his statement and nodded. “Yes, they will be.” Sons that were healers felt like a good compromise though she would not dream of forcing the occupation on either of their young children. She had to accept that they would take their own paths in the world even if it worried the hell out of her and her husband. “Either way, I am sure they will keep our paws and worries full for quite some time.” She teased lightly as she nipped back along his jaw and nuzzled lightly against his neck once more.
 
“I am fortunate they will have Mereo to grow in.” A military outpost might not seem like the best place to raise children, but they would be protected within it’s bounds, safe from her psychotic ex who was still lurking about she had no doubt, and surrounded by people that Aquene trusted to help steer them right. She chuckled again at the thought of two tiny Kallik’s chasing Towhee around and harassing her as she had the young couple previously. “I’m certain she’ll try and turn it into a game. It doesn’t seem like much fazes her.”

He gave her a grunt of agreement when she pointed out that the pups would keep them busy no matter what path they chose. He was so protective of their mother, and he knew he would be just as bad with the children. He might not know how to be a dad, but he knew how to be a guardian. Hopefully his honed skills would keep him from losing anyone else that he cared about. He certainly wouldn't give up as long as he drew breath. 

I am too, he agreed softly. They will be safe here, and they will have many skilled teachers. Kallik kissed her cheek. And they will have friends their age to grow up with. That was also important. I am sure she will too, he offered regarding Towhee. He couldn't help the roll of his eyes.

Most of all, they will have the most beautiful, skilled, and caring mother to ever exist. One side of his lips pulled up in a half smile. The scutarius nuzzled her neck to kick up her scent; even with how it had changed, it still made him feel whole.

She was apprehensive about being a mother, but she knew at least she had a good example. Her mother had been so fiercely caring and protective, and liked to think she had practice in a motherly role through her role as a medicus… still, it left her apprehensive. She desired to be a good mother, and she worried she would not measure up to the lofty expectations she had set for herself. Perhaps a conversation with the Matrona might soothe her mind, along with some advice that Lady Ruenna might have for her… she had to hope.
 
She hummed in agreement, a soft smile. They would have the Matrona and Imperator’s children to play and grow with. “They will.” She mused back, a warmth in her tone as the realization dawned on her that they would not be raised to be terrified every waking moment of the day as she had been… it was a strange thought to consider. It was all she had known. Playing had not been something permitted, only learning and growing in the craft to prove suitable enough for the soldiers to rely on for healing.
 
They would have freedom. They would have choices… and it meant more to her than words could possibly entertain. She smirked softly at his comment, and even more so as he followed it up with flattery. “Don’t listen to what anyone else says, my love, because flattery certainly will get you anywhere.” She teased lightly because she still found herself not wholly agreeing with his assessment of her. She did not see herself as he did, and could not take the compliment to save her life, her eyes closing as he nuzzled at her neck, pliant to his movements as she simply cherished the embrace.

Kallik was well aware of her inability to take a compliment, which was why he doubled down on his praise. He loved her and he saw her for who she was, even if she didn't. He knew the kind of cloud that could form over ones eyes when self-doubt ran rampant in their mind. 

I do not say it to flatter you, my love; I say these things because they are true and I do not want to hear any different. His expression was stern but softened by heat and amusement. Kallik nipped playfully at her nape, the bites slowly becoming more urging.

When he went to nuzzle into her fur again, the roundness of her side caught his attention. The scutarius paused. He looked to his wife with a slight frown. Now that they are bigger, will us...um, being together hurt them? He had no idea about any of this, and he would never forgive himself if he harmed Aquene or the pups.

Her nose twitched in a slight wrinkle as he insisted they were true, twitching further as he nipped at her neck and she shifted to nip along his ear and neck, feeling the urging nature of his pull before the pause abruptly interrupted things. Her brow raised at his frown and she had to bite back a snicker at his question, forgetting that others did not know these things. She nudged him softly.
 
“I would not worry about them, soldier.” She teased lightly as she nipped more aggressively at his nape. “I’d only worry about what your wife would do if you were to stop now.” The faintest hint of mischief lingered in her eyes. “Being together will not hurt them.” But should he stop he might get hurt… though not truly for she could never lay a claw on him just as she knew he would never harm her, but it was fun to poke and tease.

He was overthinking things again and worrying about issues that were not there. The harder nip below his ear sent a shiver down his spine just as her playful threat made him raise an eyebrow. Well, I wouldn't want to cross you, he murmured, resuming his ministrations to her nape. 

Aquene still assured him that they would not hurt the children, for which he was incredibly grateful; he didn't want to stop where this was headed. Things had been so stressful and uncertain lately, and he looked forward to these moments where it was just the two of them and they were each other's sole focus. 

And now that he had told her of his love, he wanted to show her his love too. 

figured we could fade here <3 they'll need an updated one anyway so they can talk about the vale