[ P ] my sunshine

Aurelia

“I can happily give you one later,” he whispered into her ear flirtatiously. She felt her cheeks warm with a blush and let out a quiet giggle at his words. “But for now, it is the gift of having the children distracted for a moment." he added before nuzzling into her cheek. She nuzzled him back and swiped her tongue over his chin lovingly. "I'll take it."

The silvery woman sat back then and listened to Danya as he explained the game to the children. Rayna and Andreas seemed eager to play while Aesira lingered at her paws. Rayna bet she would win while Andreas offered to help Aesira beat her. Aurelia smiled, feeling pride well in her chest that her little boy was trying to take care of his sister like that. She could only hope they would remain close as they grew and once she and Danya were gone... that they could lean on one another in times of need. A breath escaped her at the thought and she flicked at ear dismissively. She shouldn't think of such things, not during moments like these.

Aurelia reached down and nudged Aesira gently with her nose, urging her to go play with her siblings. "Run along, my sweet girl. With you and Andreas together, you can surely beat your sister!" she said warmly. Her tail wagged behind her and she smiled with a tenderness she reserved for her children.

On days like this, Aurelia cherished her life. She had come so far from that bedraggled and lonely girl that it was hard to believe at times. This was what she'd been wanting her entire life...

[ fade exit aurelia via watching the babies play ball ]

"..."

table by rae

DANYA NOVIKOV

Danya couldn’t help but smile at Aurelia’s reaction to his words. While their relationship had not started in a conventional fashion, he was happy that he had her in his life. She brought a light to it, a light in the darkness that he’d been long since so adjusted to that he didn’t realize how dark it had truly been. Since coming to Rionnach, his life had taken a turn for the better, in so many ways. He had never thought that he would have a family of his own — his assumption with children had always been that he would father children, and not be part of their lives, a passing memory to their creation, a wayward one-night stand that had resulted in a permanent reminder.

But Aurelia had changed that.

Changed so many things about the course of his life.

Danya’s smile lingered on his lips as his gaze turned towards the children, their bickering back and forth making him chuckle a little. Even at such a young age, Rayna dominated over the other two, but that didn’t mean that Aesira and Andreas didn’t team up on her from time to time. While he knew that Rayna would probably rarely ever need someone to step up and take her side on things, he was happy that they both didn’t team up on little Aesira. The girl was so timid and attached to her mother, that sometimes Danya worried about her. But, he hoped that eventually, the three of them would become a team together. A trio that was inseparable.

Something he never had as a child, but had admittedly so desperately yearned for.

“Run along, my sweet girl. With you and Andreas together, you can surely beat your sister!” Aurelia told the girl, a warmth in her voice that made him beam. He had known for a long time that this was what she had wanted in life.

He was happy that he’d been able to give her something that she had wanted for as long as he had known her.

His gaze lingered on all of them, watching as the pups began their game, his eyes flickering between it and his mate.

When had life become more than business?

When had this become what he had wanted, needed to feel fulfilled and happy?

[ exit Danya via fade ]

@Aurelia && @Andreas && @Aesira && @Rayna

template © bean

Games were always wonderful in Rayna’s mind. She almost always won, which… Considering Aesira was more apt to cling to their mother, and Andreas was more prone to cater to Aesira’s whining, it was easy enough to be the star child — in Rayna’s mind, anyway. While she may not have gotten her mother’s affections as easily as her sister did, the pup knew that she was the apple of her parent’s eyes — at least Daddy’s eyes. She looked the most like him, her patterns the most similar to his, whereas the other two looked more like Momma. Rayna was fine with that — she preferred her father’s affections anyway. Momma’s were great too, but she was a Daddy’s Girl through and through.

Rayna squinted at her brother as he said something to Aesira, wondering what it was that the two were plotting… until he took a playful bow, before barreling towards her. Rayna squeaked, picking up the ball and darting off as fast as her legs could carry her — at this point, her sole purpose was to keep the ball away from her siblings as long as she could.

[ exit Rayna playing ball ]

manip + code: clae