Redhawk Caldera Blue Hours

@Bridget

Bronco planned on inviting both Sorana and Teya down to the lake to hunt later on in the day, thinking an evening spent fishing might put them all in good spirits. 

But it was morning still, a chilly one at that, and this existed as a plan that made him smile as he headed down the slope toward the borders. He’d do a patrol, he thought, so he was contributing to the pack for the first half of the day- and could earn himself a guilt-free evening with his beau and her daughter.

If Bridget was going to do this she couldn't do it halfway. She was only a woman so of course she resented Bronco for the place he had earned, especially when it was his status as a man that had clinched it. He probably didn't even realize - and Bridget wouldn't be the one to tell him.

She couldn't just ignore him and she couldn't give in to the temptation to punish him for it. Obviously she was too mature for that.

She could, however, make sure his life was a living hell if he ever hurt her. Bridget held the cards of being Teya's longest friend. It wasn't hard to find him, walking the borders. Hey. You and Teya. I have some questions you're going to answer. She started in without preamble, falling into step beside him in a way that made it clear she was inviting herself along. Her voice was friendly enough, but she knew he'd know he was being tested. It wasn't exactly subtle.

”Oh, hey Bridg-“
You and Teya

He halted his greeting when he heard their names together. It warmed his heart slightly to think of others beginning to notice them as an item. But Bridget had questions, and her tone was friendly enough. He chuckled when he got over the surprise. 

”Shoot,” he responded, giving her permission to ask away with a soft nod of his head.

Did she trust Teya's taste after Reyes? Hell no. But she was here now, and if this guy had any skeletons hidden in the brush, she was sure as shit going to flush them out.

She'd give him points for being willing to put up with this cheerfully enough. Direct was kind of her default mode.

What made you ask? Why did you pick her? Bridget eyed him sideways, then laughed. And before you get any ideas, Romeo, no I'm not asking because I'm interested in you. We've been friends for a long time. I want to see for myself what kind of guy she's getting herself into.

I'll give you that one for free, she thought, absolutely aware of the way it might sound. You're welcome.

Bridget was fun. He wouldn’t have been surprised had she been elected in the recent vote, and would have been just as content had she won. She liked a challenge, and was ambitious- clearly the sort of wolf who could overcome adversity and keep going. Now, she was questioning him. He felt a bit intimidated, but was moved by her motives.

”Well shit. I was just using her to get closer to you, but seeing as you’re not interested,” He drawled. They didn’t know each other terribly well, but she seemed to speak sarcasm as well as he did. ”I see right through you anyway. You’re in love with her an’ you’re just grillin’ me because yer jealous,” 

It was a joke. He was sniffing a spot on a tree where a stag had rubbed its antlers. He didn’t even glance her way before he continued with a light, affectionate tone.

”I like her. She’s genuine, modest,” He rubbed his muzzle against the tree. Even the motion couldn’t rub the smile off his face when he considered Teya. ”She’s fun. And she loves her daughter, and her pack. If you haven’t noticed,” he said, finally turning his gaze back to Bridget. ”Your friend’s kind of amazing.”

Wrong tree, pal. This was another part of why she'd been so willing to approach this directly. She remembered that Bronco was a decent dude with a pretty great sense of humor. Two things that did not make hating him all that easy. So she couldn't, even if she'd wanted to.

The accuracy of his next statement obviously took her by surprise, but her immediate reaction was to laugh again. He'd probably take it for the ridiculousness of the suggestion, but it was hilarious he'd managed to hit the mark on a joke while being completely in the dark. Holy shit, absolute gold. There was no guilt to tie up the reaction; she'd dealt with any of it that lingered before coming here. There was nothing between her and Teya for him to worry about.

Seriously? You're going to act like you have to tell me that? She gave him an excuse me look, then gestured with a paw back at him. For all I know, you've got some kind of beef with her ex and are using my best friend as a revenge bang. Which, if it's true, I'm going to have to warn you against. Don't let these three legs fool you - I've got a nasty bite.

She smiled with her teeth, but there wasn't anything threatening about the way she stood. The amused spark in her eye might have been enough to tell she was mostly joking otherwise, but the main message was something she figured would stand. She's important to me. Don't fuck her over.

And that was far from her last question. This here was an interview.

He cringed, and his stomach twisted. He had a visible, unpleasant reaction to the expression revenge bang. For whatever reason, it reminded him of how  ill “the talk” had made him feel when he’d been young. His aunt had had a way of phrasing things that had at times made him queasy. 

The glint of her teeth caught his eye, and was a welcome distraction from the slight nausea. He smiled faintly. He shook his head.

”Well, as someone who cares for her, I appreciate your concern. I’m glad she has friends who look out for her.” He said. ”Got something in your teeth though, right here,” he gestured. The mirth in his own eyes might’ve given away the fact that he was lying.

”As for Reyes- if I was the vengeful sort, I would’ve acted on it years ago. He broke my mother’s leg when she was pregnant, over some stupid argument, and broke my aunt’s heart before he left his children and came into Teya’s life. Aside from his children, he’s left nothing but a path of destruction in his wake.” He said ”I don’t do violence.” He offered, as some sort of explanation as to why he had never taken up arms against the man who had hurt others he loved.

Any quip she had ready for his comment about her teeth died on her tongue when he went into that little tidbit. There must have been something in the water because they were both psychic tonight.

Well shit. I was kidding, but alright. Fair enough. She had no reason not to believe what Bronco said. Bridget had seen Reyes' reactions first hand when she'd brought Caracal to visit, and no matter how much he loved Sorana, he didn't seem to be involved much in any older kids' lives. Not that she needed to judge him for that. She was fine disliking him enough for her friend's sake, regardless of the way he'd once gone to fetch her and bring her home.

I'll give you the status of 'tentative improvement' for now, she added with a tilt of her head. It was probably healthier if Teya had snagged someone with no connection to Reyes, just for the sake of moving on, but that was a little hard to find in a place as small as this. She'd refrain from docking points - she was a gracious judge.

How do you feel about keeping friendships outside of a relationship? Question two was a pretty good subject change, and particularly relevant to her interests (obviously). He'd have to be an idiot to answer this one incorrectly to her face, but you never could tell.

Well, he figured she was exaggerating, and that his score was higher than she let on, but he accepted the comment as graciously as he could. ”I hope that with time, your impression of me improves. Personally, I think it will but we’ll see,” He said. 

When she brought up the topic of friends outside the relationship, he shook his head, no, adamantly. ”No friends. No friends at all outside our relationship for Teya, not even you. She is to devote every single iota of her attention to me.” He spoke plainly as he lifted a leg to mark a tree. Once he finished, he did a shimmy to right himself and looked over at Bridget. 

”Of course she can have friends. I have friends. We’ll have some mutual ones for sure, but yes, I think friends are important. Turning your back on your friends just because you got hitched is so yesterday,” He said with a faint laugh.

He seemed to take her teasing in stride, another good sign. She wasn't shy about testing his temper either. Teya might not be the type to outright offend, not even as much as Bridget could at times, but she didn't deserve someone who wasn't understanding when feelings were hurt. If he disliked Reyes as much as he let on, she knew the comparison could have been taken worse.

Well, he was as nice as she remembered. She smiled, rubbing her pelt against a tree to her side. The scabs at her neck itched more than anything else, but she couldn't do much about it right now. Breaking them before they healed completely meant starting over again and no way she was messing up the healing Neon applied. Speaking of... she should go find her again sometime soon.

It was a nice thought, and she laughed easily at his pronouncement that not having friends was 'lame'. Agreed. Alright then. Last question, and maybe the most important one. How do you feel about kids having aunts and those aunts spoiling said kids? Her smile softened a bit, thinking of Sorana. She didn't know what the girl would think of Bronco, and she knew she was hurting after Reyes disappeared, more than she would allow anyone to know. Reyes had tried to keep her away at the start and her opinion of him had never recovered. She hoped Bronco would trust Teya's judgement a little more - but she'd already decided it wouldn't matter. Teya would be the only one allowed to chase her away if she decided she wanted to be a mother again.

Interrogation wasn’t typically something that rattled Bronco, but he still felt relieved that the questioning period was wrapping up. He felt he’d answered well, and that he’d answered honestly. He wondered if Teya knew her friend was inspecting him- but he didn’t mind. Bridget could have that as her little secret or tell Teya what she’d scoped out if she wanted. 

It surprised him to hear her ask a question which implied that she figured Bronco and Teya would have children. It seemed a bit early, to him, but he took her question as it was, regardless of what Bridget might have been fishing for. 

”That’s what aunts are supposed to do.” He said. ”And uncles. And older siblings, really. Everybody’s supposed to just spoil them rotten, and break some of the soft rules with them. It makes the parents become better parents, and gives the kids other role models to look up to.” He said.

Bridget would take it. Teya hasn't said a word to me about anything. But I probably don't have to tell you that Reyes didn't see it that way. She didn't want him getting he idea that her friend had mentioned kids with her, but this was a selfish request. If that happened, she was going to be there, and it would be way easier if he was okay with it.

I've already decided I won't keep my mouth shut again if I see red flags like those. But so far, you seem alright. It wasn't a glowing recommendation, but she gave him a wink to show it was a bit of an understatement. He was fine in her books, but only time would tell if the thing between he and Teya would work.

She genuinely hoped it did.

Bridget fell into an easy silence after that, allowing Bronco to either escape or turn the tables on her if he wanted. It was only fair, really.

His mouth pulled into a thin line when she mentioned Reyes. His opinion of the man had continued to fall over time. Being vulnerable seemed to stress Teya out, noticeably, and he couldn't help but wonder if Reyes had caused that. "Isolating your partner from their friends and support system." He complained, shaking his head and uttering a deep sigh. "The dude is just...Impressing me less and less the more I hear about him. And honestly-" He said, casting a glance about. "I won't miss him if he doesn't come back, though I don't want him to ditch on Sorana either, or she'll get the idea that that's what Dads do." 

There was a bit of silence. He didn't necessarily need Bridget's validation, but he appreciated it nonetheless. Maybe he'd do things right, this time. He at least had someone who was going to help keep an eye on him this time, anyway. 

"If you don't mind me asking," He said, figuring by then she'd already figured out what he was going to ask. "How many kids did you save from the bear?" He gestured to her flank, with a half-smile.

Bridget's initial instinct was to push back but instead she let it go. She got it. Her only reason for wanting him back was Sorana's sake, but Bronco hadn't probably spent enough time around her to know just how deeply this had changed her. He was going to have a harder time becoming a 'dad' to her than that, she thought, but she didn't mention it. He'd find out when he found out. She didn't have any reason to get involved in that.

Reyes was a lot of things. But he was a great dad to her. Not involved, but a hint (and a reminder) couldn't hurt.

Moving on to more cheerful things anyway! Bridget glanced at her flank, then adjusted her gait a bit with a hop. It was getting more and more natural to move like this, but some of that ease always seemed to disappear the instant she actually remembered and thought about it.

No bear. Just an asshole who thought he was entitled to something. I set him straight, but just my luck, he probably had enough disease in his mouth to kill a fuckin moose. Makes sense, remembering how much shit he spewed. She added that last bit thoughtfully, then chuckled and shook her head at her own joke. At this point it was what it was.

He couldn't argue with that one point. Out of all the things Reyes had done, the one thing Bronco could not debate was the fact that he'd been a fun dad. He sighed, shook his head- and then nodded. "Yeap." 

He gritted his teeth. It occurred to him, then, that maybe he and Reyes might've had something in common. They both wanted to be the fun dad- but ended up caught away from the family during the kid's upbringing. As much as he disliked Reyes, he wouldn't have wanted for him to fall into the same company. And what if he had? What if the hunters had come to the Wilds? He bristled lightly at the thought.

Bridget, it seemed, had been through something that made him see her in a new light. Just an asshole who thought he was entitled to something. He tensed, like a rabbit catching wind of a predator. A thick haze of white-noise blocked out her voice for a moment. When he tuned back in, she was chuckling. He'd stopped breathing, and tried to resume as quietly as possible, though his breath was shaky. The smile he attempted was just trembling lips. He tried to sort out a reply, but nothing came out. He continued on like a drone, purposefully avoiding eye contact, sinking further and further into a pit of shame for not being able to respond properly.

Bridget's chuckling stopped when she noticed Bronco's reaction to her words, and instantly she knew the look of a triggered individual. Either he, or someone he cared about deeply, had experienced something in line with what she said. And it was likely, four legs or no, they hadn't come out as well as she had from the experience.

Sorry. We don't need to talk about that. She said, dismissing the subject with a casual air, though the look she gave him had a touch of concern. They could talk about it, if he wanted, but every individual handled this kind of thing differently. Some found it helpful to talk - others couldn't bring themselves to.

She could carry on the conversation herself, but she gave it a moment's pause. Looking for a signal to determine what course she'd take next, and whether there was anything she could say to ease a bit of what she saw but couldn't quite parse yet.

It took him a few moments to figure out what the best way was to recover from shutting down. Bridget didn't pry, but given what she'd just admitted to him, she'd likely be the individual who might understand the most. Then again, she was also Teya's best friend. It'd be too much of a burden, he thought, for Bridget to carry the worries of both members of a couple. 

He nodded, eventually, and tried to put on a faint smile. It wouldn't reach his eyes, but at least he'd lost the wild, wide-eyed look he'd had before. "I'm sorry you went through that...But I'm glad you got out of it. That must've...Been really painful for a while, eh?" It was easier to talk about the injury, than the situation that caused it. "I mean, I sleep wrong some nights and wake up and can't walk straight for three days, so I can't imagine how much that must've hurt."

He moved it on himself. Things weren't fine, she could tell, but they weren't the sort of friends yet where she knew how much she could push before he cracked. Things like this were delicate, and that kind of damage wasn't something to test out. She had an obligation to not make things worse.

I actually had nightmares, for a while. About when they took it. I'm not sure they're completely gone but it's been a while. Bridget glanced at her hip, then looked back at him. It was hard, after. I'm a medic, right? So I figured it was my fault it got to that point. It took a while to realize that things just happen, sometimes, and blaming myself wasn't doing me any good. This is how things are, and the best thing I can do now is live my life.

He wouldn't necessarily relate to that but it'd taken her a long enough process to get there that it probably deserved to be shared. Felt pretty good to say it out loud too, making it more of a truth than it had been before. Occasionally she still resented the way her life had changed but this moments were few and far between nowadays.

Nightmares. He frowned softly, but he glanced over to Bridget, made hopeful by how freely she shared her experience. Perhaps his nightmares were a normal thing, then. It was almost a relief to hear that someone else went through something that sounded familiar, but who looked so strong, despite it all. Bridget likely hid some of her true feelings, but at least she was at a point where she could talk about it without breaking down. It seemed like she'd done a lot of thinking, and had had some time to process things. 

She implied that the wound had gotten infected, and seemed to blame herself for a little while, at least, until she'd realized how fruitless it could be. Bronco was inclined to reassure her, though. "Nah. Infection...Like you say, it just happens sometimes, but it can take out even the strongest of us, sometimes even under excellent care. It's a bitch." He said. He knew it was irrational to begrudge something so much, but grief could be undiscerning. "You're one tough son-of-a-gun to have beat it off." His voice was quiet and genuine, but he didn't smile. It was too hard to pay a compliment to one wolf for beating infection, when he still mourned another who'd not survived the battle. 

"How long ago did that happen?" He asked. Not that it was necessarily right to compare timelines, but he was curious nonetheless. Hopeful that he might not be too far away from being her level of healed.

Last winter. It would be a year soon, she realized suddenly. Strange that it didn't feel that long, but at the same time nearly felt like things had always been this way. She was adapting.

I was lucky that they were crazy enough to try what they did. I'm not sure I would be able to. Maybe if she could guarantee the only alternative was death, but it still seemed like a heavy risk. She still hadn't ever learned how they managed it either. With things here as quiet as they are, hopefully I'll never find out. Aside from her run in with the cat just recently, she didn't recall the last time she'd had to treat anything serious. Not since the Redhawks were here at least.

Well shit. That meant she'd had less time than him, right? Unless she meant the winter before...He told himself not to compare their recoveries. It wasn't a race. But still, he found himself envious of Bridget's ability to rebound from that sort of thing. What was it she'd told herself? Blaming herself wasn't doing her any good. This is just how life is, now she just has to...Now he just has to keep living. 

Well, he was doing that. He was courting someone new, and looking forward to the future with her. Maybe he wasn't so far behind in his journey as he thought. Bridget might understand. Hell, she might even be the wolf he should talk to about everything, but it didn't seem right for him to go to the wolf who was also his intended's best friend. He felt she should be off limits, so that Teya could have someone she trusted to talk to about everything, without worrying about that wolf also being his confidente. 

As for Bridget having to push her limits, he chuckled softly, finally warming up a bit. "Nah. I think...This place, hopefully, should just be as far from that kind of stuff as possible. I like being in a very neutral pack. No more drama, and we're not living on like...A mountain, so there shouldn't be any of...That." He said. He shrugged. "The peace is good for everyone. I'd never fight another fight in my life if I don't have to." He said.

Unaware of his internal struggle, Bridget nodded in agreement. Mountains were an accident waiting to happen - she'd fucking know. She couldn't imagine trying to wrangle all of the kids they had in a place like that. She'd be on call every other week.

I never really minded a good fight growing up, but I think I have to agree. Maybe when you grow up you realize that there's a lot more to lose with it. She still had zero reservations defending this place if it came down to it, but looking for a fight wasn't something she'd done in a long time.

Something tells me we are pretty safe, though. I don't see Maia ordering any war parties anytime soon. They didn't have many neighbors either. It's lucky I get the occasional injured stranger, otherwise I'd have completely forgotten the trade by now.

"One hundred percent, There was regret in his voice, and he nodded. Bridget seemed like the sort that would've been a great pal to be with, going through training. She probably would have loved being on Moonspear, training with Hydra- though she'd likely gone through something similar in terms of training. There had been joy in sparring. There'd been lots of fun in chasing other predators away from the borders with a friend, and there'd been at least some pride in knowing that the pack was safe even with blood having been shed. But those were in times gone by. Some of his experiences could be turned into cautionary tales for children- but the rest of it was a book of nightmares. 

"We're fine. I do worry that someday, Mereo will cause trouble. Not with us, but by being just across the plains there, that we might end up in the crossfire." He admitted. He shrugged. "They're a military pack- have you met them yet?" He asked. "Fun fact- if you were looking for some dirt on me- I'm banned from Mereo. Like soft-banned, not a 'kill-on-sight' but very much on the naughty list." He admitted.

Oh, no shit? The fuzz don't like you. Bridget cracked a bigger grin, appreciating her own joke and the way he'd said it. Likely something had happened, but if he was worried about them causing issues, it didn't sound as if he was too torn up. I won't dock you points for that. Hell, it might even be worth some. What'd you do, piss on the wrong tree? Mistake one of them for a tree?

She hadn't actually ever met them and was curious to know more. There were quite a few packs in the area she was unaware of - travel took her a while still and she avoided walking the mountains alone unless she felt she needed to. It wasn't worth falling again.

But first Akashingo, now Mereo... she was no ambassador, but she wondered if she shouldn't check them out. Especially if they might spell trouble someday. Bridget might be able to smooth some of that over if she offered her skills (or a friendly word) towards doing so.

"The fuzz?" He chuckled. He doubted very much that the Imperator would've appreciated that nickname- but Bronco was secretly delighted that Bridget was inclined to make fun of him from a safe distance. If this was winning him points, then he assumed she'd met the man as well, and thought about as much about him as Bronco did. 

"I went there because I heard some of the Redhawks had moved there, including my son, Killdeer. Their 'stiff' of a leader met me at the borders, but wouldn't let me visit them unless I joined the pack and went on some military tour with them." He said. He shrugged. "Now I'm what I guess you'd call a 'conscientious objector,'  and I guess as soon as I heard that my son was among the troops sent to tend to some emergency with another pack, I panicked. I must've offended him somethin' awful when I said that I disagreed with him takin' kids into battle...I might've even said he must've been desperate to have to resort to making kids be a part of his army and, well," He said, shaking his head. "That got me banned. Probably would've been worse had Killdeer not shown up and talked his 'Imperator' down from wanting to launch my ass outa the canyon." He said.