Hushed Willows But everything, it all just feels the same

The paw full of snow smacked Eros right in the face. Tambourine grinned, though his happy expression died a quick death when the smaller boy began to cry. "Did I hurt you?" he gasped, abandoning his playful posture and crowding closer to Eros, inspecting his face. Eros's wail gave him an answer. He hadn't physically hurt him but evidently lobbing the snowball at him had wounded the pup emotionally.

"I do!" the Xi quickly reassured his little buddy, seating himself beside Eros and draping a foreleg across his shoulders. "I promise I do! I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry," Tambourine blathered, tentatively nudging Eros's cheek in a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I shouldn't have done that. I was just tryin' to get your mind off things..."

He hadn't missed Eros's plaintive request earlier. Tambourine couldn't replace the boy's mother, though he knew that blood parents weren't the only option for family. He shared a very special bond with Stark, for instance, and they weren't technically related at all. "I could be like your big brother if you want," he offered, wide eyes peering at Eros's face in the hope that it would help console him.