Upstream Dream

 Cresting a gently sloped hill, Rafferty walked through the crimson tendrils of wisteria, the air verdant-sweet with ripe apples. 

 He carried a rabbit, a quickly won prize during his afternoon patrol. Settling in at the base of a tree, he paused as his tail tucked around his back legs. 

 Rafferty didn't see her, but he recognized her by scent alone. “Hello, Princess.”

the staff team luvs u

Edith wasn't far from where Rafferty sat. A thorn had gotten stuck between two of her toes, and she was hard at work trying to get it out—which was proving to be more difficult than she had originally anticipated. She was too headstrong to consider calling a medic; this was something simple that she could handle on her own. 

"Hello, Princess," Rafferty said. Edith's heart skipped a beat. His voice was a bitter reminder that she had to face him at some point, and that time had come sooner than she thought. 

"Rafferty," she returned, lifting her head as she searched for him. She couldn't help herself; despite all the heartache and grief, she still wanted to see him.

the staff team luvs u

 He hadn't seen or spoken to Edith since their last squabble. Thinking of their past encounters made a weariness creep across his countenance. He didn't want to fight anymore. 

 Her greeting was clipped, cool politeness with emotion beneath its edge. Rafferty couldn't help himself. “What's wrong?”

the staff team luvs u

Edith didn't want to fight either. She just wanted things to return to the way that they'd been before their fallout. 

"Everything—" she wanted to reply, "—I've missed you." But she didn't.

"I got a thorn stick in my paw," she answered, not necessarily lying. "Hurts like a bitch."

the staff team luvs u

 He was on his feet and walking to her before he realized what he was doing. Regardless of their frayed relationship, Edith was his packmate, and Rafferty was eager to prove his worth.

 Dipping his head low, he gazed up at her through a single set of lashes. “Can I see?” Would she let him help her?

the staff team luvs u

Edith held her breath as Rafferty approached her—had he always looked this handsome? 

"Uh, yeah, sure," she said, fumbling through her surprise, "It's pretty stuck in there—I think I might have stepped on a bee or something." She flipped over her paw and looked at him with wide, doe-like eyes. She was walking on eggshells, trying to navigate this delicate uncertainty between them.

the staff team luvs u

 The lack of two eyes made this more difficult. 

 Stooping, he twisted his head and body round to try to see a malicious, triangular silhouette within the fluff between her paw pads. 

 “I can't see it. Uh-” Awkward, clumsy, he went for it, sticking his tongue between her toes, rasping hard to try to get it out. This is weird. This is really weird.

the staff team luvs u

Edith didn't know if it was the sensation between her toes or the fact that Rafferty was taking care of her—but something was doing it for her. Something stirred in her pelvic area, a burning sensation she'd never felt before, and it made her want to wither and grind against the ground. She didn't know what to make of it, and she tried to ignore it; sex education was not in Elkshire's curriculum. 

"U-Uh little to the left," she instructed, licking her lips, "close to the furthest pad." 

She didn't want it to end and wanted to see where it would go. But—a little voice in the back of her head reminded her—she wanted him as more of an active participant that an unsuspecting participant. It couldn't go on this way.

the staff team luvs u

 Giving himself over to the task, Rafferty committed. 

 Wedging his tongue between her paw pads, at last, he felt something rigid. With a soft growl, he failed for a series of seconds to grab the bastard thorn with his front teeth. 

 With one final flick of hit tongue, he managed to dislodge the nuisance, spitting the thorn onto the ground. When he straightened, Rafferty frowned. “Are you okay?”

the staff team luvs u

"U-Uh ... yeah," Edith replied. She was thankful that it was over—but still there was a residual longing that she couldn't shake. "Stung a little bit, but it's much better."

"And, uh, thanks for not ignoring me," she added, tipping her head back to look up at him, "I ... missed you." She craved his touch again; her heart raced and her pupils widened and she took him in.

the staff team luvs u

 “You did?” The sentiment struck him silent for a moment, and he looked at her, meeting eyes as big as the does they refused to hunt. 

 He couldn't say he'd missed her, but Rafferty could cop to an absent familiarity, a constant presence suddenly gone. And he'd noticed. 

 Taking a step back, he rocked onto his haunches, sitting next to her. “Can I ask you something?” He didn't wait. “Is the reason you don't like me because I have white patches?” His frown deepened when he thought back to @Maral and the finer details of their family doctrine.

the staff team luvs u

"No"," she retorted, "I'm just a bitch." 

"You're the first wolf with white patches that I like. You've taught me that I can trust some wolves deemed sinful by The High Elk—that that doesn't define you." Her lower lip quivered. "I felt like I could be myself with you—that I could be competitive with and have a good time—I like pushing your buttons and playing rough with you." 

"I ... really like you."

the staff team luvs u

 He was silent for too long. 

 His mouth opened. Then he shut it again. 

 Rafferty was pulled back to their handful of interactions - the sporting challenge of banter, the flash of satisfaction and fire that came with each tussle. 

 “I don't know how I feel.” An unfamiliar heat making his skin prickle. “But I'd be willing to start again.”

the staff team luvs u

Edith hung onto everything Rafferty did. The silence was maddening, and it caused her imagination to go wild. Did he like her too? Or did he hate her? 

“I don't know how I feel.” Rafferty said. “But I'd be willing to start again.” 

Edith became overcome with relief; she exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "Yeah?" Edith said, wiping away the tears that had pricked in the corner of her eyes. "Thank you." She thanked both Rafferty and The High Elk. 

She stood and smiled at him, balancing on three legs while keeping her injured one elevated. "I'm Edith," she introduced, "Princess of Elkshire. It's nice to meet you."

the staff team luvs u

 He smirked. Maybe it was his own fluffed ego, or maybe Rafferty had another reason for closing the distance between them. He chuckled as he swiped his tongue lightning-quick across her cheek before he dashed away, using her injury to his advantage. 

 “Nice to meet you too, Princess.”

the staff team luvs u

Rafferty kissed Edith. Although she wanted to stay in the moment and soak it all in, she realized she couldn't if she wanted to return the favor. 

"Hey!" she barked after him. "You can't just run away from me like that!" She hobbled after him with her regular spitfire spirit; not even her injury could slow her down.

the staff team luvs u

 “What's the matter? Too slow, tripod?” Cackling at his own joke, he raced up a gently sloping hill, the verdant grass of summer crisping, ready to dry and rest till spring.

 He waited for her at the top, his tail high and waving. He sighed, feigning exasperation. “Come on, Princess Putz A Lot.”

the staff team luvs u

“What's the matter? Too slow, tripod?” Edith deserved this for all the times she'd taken advantage of his disability. She'd brought up his missing eye on more than one occasion, and Rafferty deserved the chance to get back at her for all the teasing she'd done to him.

"No!" she growled, pushing her limping to the limits as she climbed up the hill. When she reached the top, she quickly leaned over and kissed him. Just like he had, she then raced down the hill, leaving him behind for now. Their game of cat and mouse continued well into the evening, and Edith found herself happy—something she hadn't felt for a while.

the staff team luvs u