Redsand Canyon trade off

maxim...did not know how these things worked. he did not know when it would be obvious that @Towhee was pregnant — and although their relationship was not romantic, he still doted upon her loosely.

meals provided, den tended to. he did not want to be some sort of...belligerent heathen of a partner.

he hoped that she would be here now as the night cuddled the land of mereo. and if she was, he would seek to settle down comfortably by her. although between his jaws was a sort of gift.

a ptarmigan.

It was true that a handful of good friends would be departing, though it wasn’t as though Towhee would be left bereft. There was Ruenna and her newborns, now, and of course Maxim and her own batch of sprogs sometime later. And then there were the Redhawks come home to roost, including the brother that insisted on draping himself outside their door like some sort of welcome mat.

She smiled crookedly at the thought even as she shifted on the pallet she shared with Maxim, eyes lingering on the den’s twilit mouth. She didn’t see Phox or her mate out there, though dusk had only just fallen. They would both turn up soon. In the meantime, she let her thoughts wander to Tierra and Killdeer, wondering how the future generations were coming along as soldiers.

Maxim arrived without fanfare, scattering her thoughts as his silhouette filled the doorway. He brought dinner. Towhee licked her lips and shot him a thankful glance before absolutely devouring his offering. She didn’t even think to share, nor did she feel badly about that. If all went according to plan, she was eating for two or more.

After letting out an appreciative burp and sloppily licking her chops clean, Towhee glanced at Maxim, meaning to ask him about his day. But then a downy feather fluttered across the floor, capturing her attention. She gazed at the others strewn all over the den for a moment, then instinctively began scooping them into a pile with her paws.

it was good, he thought, that she devoured the bird so greedily. a sign of health and hunger. would she get hungrier, he thought, and what a sight it would be if she did!

he took pride in seeing her eat so feverishly. he was a provider for her in these moments where they wondered if she carried a future. he would continue to be a provider if she brought her new future.

but suddenly she was collecting feathers.

and he, still boyish despite being on the possible cusp of fatherhood, stuck his nose into her collected pile. literally. looking at her mischievously as he threated to billow air into them.

Towhee went rigid, leveling her partner with a look. Don’t you fucking dare, she rumbled, although there was mischief mirrored in her own gaze. These are for my nest, she told him, gathering up every last stray feather and then pushing the heap toward their bedding.

She paused to look over at him, quipping, The question is, do I feel the need to do this because I’m pregnant? Or because I’m a Towhee? And a Redhawk? She snickered and returned to her work, lining the sleeping space with the downy, sparing glances over her shoulder and asking, Anyway, how was your day?

maxim would be quick to heed her words, leaving her little pile at once as she ushered it towards the bedding. his tail waved all the while, features cracking with a grin at her question.

perhaps because you are towhee redhawk who is hopefully pregnant.

and my day was, uh, much the same. i notice that many of your family fills the place now. mereo is practically yours. he teased with a playful crinkle of his features.

She could tell he was teasing by the expression on his face, though the remark made Towhee squint. She wondered if anyone else shared that sentiment, but in a more serious capacity. She sucked air through her teeth, turning away from Maxim for several moments and saying nothing as she arranged the feathers to her satisfaction.

Towhee settled down on the softened bed and peered up at her partner, finally breaking the silence. Mereo belongs to everyone who lives and works here, but particularly Germanicus and Ruenna. This is their vision come to life and I’d never take that from them, or even joke about it. She shifted her weight, feeling unduly grumpy all of a sudden.

She sighed after a moment, patting the spot beside her. In lighter news, I do think I’m pregnant. These mood swings are a bitch lately, but… But they were a big, hormone-drenched flag.

there were very few times for maxim to bite his tongue or wear the look of guilty dog, but under the serious words of his partner felt fitting for his features to fall a bit flat. ears suddenly uncertain of their positioning. he understood her words though, their meaning.

he supposed he wouldn't want somebody to tease about him having a coup, hm?

regardless, he still found himself settling down near where she patted. a small smile returned to his features at her words.

is there something i can do to...help with the swings? or anything else you may need...more food, more feathers...

Towhee shook her head. It was partly an answer to his question, but also a silent apology. She went still a beat later, though, when her eyes lingered on the den’s darkening doorway.

There is something you can do for me, a favor, Towhee said, blinking over to her partner’s face. Get to know my brother, Phox. He’s your brother-in-law now. He’s always helped me raise my kids and I’d like him to be involved this time around too. She paused, wondering if she should ask him to spend time with her other family members too, but leaving it at her brother to start.

maxim, very very briefly, wondered if he would be overshadowed by the mentioned brother-in-law. apparently he had already helped towhee before. this would not only be maxim's first litter ever raised, but most certainly his first with towhee.

then he reminded himself that she had picked him for a reason, surely, and that he should take this as an opportunity to learn from the man before the children arrived.

i can do this happily. he answered, honest despite his internal muddling through feelings. i ask a favor too, though. i want to know what you think the best thing to do and bond with him would be. is he a hunter or fighter?

If he had any qualms with this ask, it didn’t show on his face. Maxim said he would be happy to oblige her request, which earned a thump of Towhee’s tail. She nipped at his ruff too, just for good measure, her mood suddenly swinging upward.

A hunter, for sure, she answered his question. He can fight well enough, but he’s more of a provider than anything. He’ll be a fantastic asset to us both, with the kids, in more ways than one. Phox would just as readily babysit as hunt, plus offer whatever support she needed, Towhee knew.

And speaking of hunting, Towhee thought aloud a moment later, I told Glaukos to think about arranging a pack hunt. I really hope he goes for it, a nice venison steak sounds sooo goooood right now… Never mind that she’d just eaten an entire ptarmigan by herself…

his tail slowly thumped against the bed. some reassurance buoyed back into him. perhaps this would be good and his fears were nothing more than looming fatherhood.

right now? he asked with a small grin splitting his features. sounds more like you are asking for another favor than telling me plans, towhee...

Despite her hearty appetite, Towhee shook her head and said, Nah, not right now. Actually, I’m pretty ready to rack out. Thanks again for bringing dinner, she made sure to say, in case she came across as dissatisfied. Truthfully, she was pretty content.

But rather than settling down to sleep, she rose suddenly. I’m gonna swing by the palazzo real quick, check in on Rue and the babies one last time for the night. I’ll be back in five. Keep the bed warm? Towhee paused long enough to catch his response before ducking out the door. She wondered if she would trip over her brother on the way back.

feel free to close! :D

of course, he grunted warmly with a few taps of his tail. but the truth of the matter was that maxim would not only be keeping the bed warm when she returned, he would already be asleep.

actually, he'd be snoring with his face mashed on towhee's side of their bed.