[ P ] Pray To The Pessimist

A

ll he could do was watch the realization dawn on Diaval's face and he felt the nausea burn up his throat. Sage wanted nothing more than to run away and never face the man before him again. A frown pulled at his face as Diaval asked if he had been hurt, shaking his head lightly, he moved to lay down, closing his eyes in relief as Diaval curled up behind him, letting his silver tail curl around the inky black tail of his prince, pulling him closer.

The first light of the sun, weak upon the frosted ground, peeked into the hut where Sage lay wide awake, staring with blurry eyes out at the field beyond the door. Slowly he removed himself from the dark prince's embrace and stretched, a yawn contorting his small face for a moment before he stepped outside. The air was cold and harsh in his lungs, but he felt all the better for it, as if it seared some logical thought among the messy scribbles that were his emotions. With a small smile, Sage went about his morning chores. Collecting water from the stream in his shells to water the garden beds before settling in to pull weeds out from between the useful herbs. He still wasn't entirely sure what he would say when Diaval woke up, but he hoped that the physical, monotonous work of tending his garden would bring some clarity to his muddled head. Every now and again, he would lift his head to check for movement inside the hut, and every time there was none he would breathe a sigh of relief.

@Diaval

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Diaval woke with a start, breaking free from a deep slumber that left him slightly bewildered upon awaking to find himself left alone. He sat up quickly, turning his head this way and that as though he'd lost something precious. He even stood up and checked beneath him. Alas, he found nothing but himself in the space. Blinking sleep from his golden eyes, he tried to gain his bearings, shaking his head as he recalled what took place before. The way Sage had reacted afterwards...it would be no surprise to him if he had left, gone back to wherever he had ventured off to before.

The fallen Prince let out a bitter breath of a laugh. Normally, he would have been the one to be scarce after an encounter such as this. Getting a taste of his own medicine from the small healer was surprisingly painful. After a moment of silent contemplation, he began to gather himself up, intent on going back to a vagrant's lonely life of wandering aimlessly, doing favors for scraps of whatever he could get. Before he moved to the doorway, he heard a sound outside, his ears perking up as he trotted to the threshold to peek outward.

There he was. The morning sun trailing along the bright silver strands of fur along his coat, making the smaller wolf practically shimmer beneath the sunlight where he worked the land of his homestead. Diaval felt a lump form in his throat and heat crawl up his face, embarrassment leaving him somewhat flustered to realize what a fool he'd been to thing that Sage would have left.

He steeled himself before making his approach, trying to bury these intense and frightening feelings that were beginning to attempt to bubble to the surface. Diaval padded quietly up behind the smaller male, trying to be as stealthy as he was able so that he could come to loom behind Sage. He would lower his muzzle against his neck behind one of his ears and speak in a low, husky voice. "Need any help out here?"

@Sage

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da]. click for attributions.

T

houghts bubbled away in his head while he tended to his garden. He couldn't help but run over the memory of the last night in his head, time and time again. The hesitant answer and the deflective questions. The way he pulled away when he found out Sage had been new to the whole intimate relationship situation. Panic roiled out of control in his chest, and he constantly fought off the stinging warmth that gathered in the corner of his eyes. He wanted to fix this, somehow take it all back. If only they had simply slept together to fend off the cold, and not gotten so heated. Sage growled quietly to himself, knowing that he could not regret those moments of passion, even if Diaval did not participate for the same reason Sage had.

Sage separated two clumps of roots and placed one into a pre-dug hole when he heard the scuffle of footsteps by the entrance to his hut. His ear swiveled to the noise but he didn't turn his head. It was far too early for any healer-seeking visitors to be here, there was only one set of paws it could be.

Despite knowing Diaval had approached, he still jumped when the voice sounded right behind his ear. He skittered away from Diaval, his plants flung in multiple directions. Sage cursed under his breath and gave Diaval a short glare before going after the discarded plants. "No, thank you. I'm perfectly content by myself this morning." He mumbled, placing one of the clumps of roots into a hole and covering it over, a little too aggressively. He was internally shocked at himself, he didn't feel angry, and yet he could feel the anger radiating from him.

With a deep breath he turned to face Diaval, locking eyes with the man. "I'm sorry. Could you perhaps gather some more water? There are spare shells inside." He offered a small smile, hoping it would be enough to smooth over the abyss that felt like it was forming between them.

@Diaval

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

He hadn't realized Sage was holding anything and instantly regretted spooking him, his suave persona vanishing almost completely. "Shit...here let me-" He began to move to pick up a few of the roots that were strewn about, but Sage's words made him halt in place. His paw that he'd had lifted to take a step slowly lowered to the ground and he blinked at the smaller male in bewilderment. The healer's response struck Diaval, the reaction most definitely not what he was expecting at all after...

He felt like an utter fool, standing there stupidly after he was undeniably rejected. This was another first for him, his mouth opening as though he were going to say something, yet nothing came to mind. Diaval glanced sideways, his entire being a jumble of confusion, not sure whether to remain where he was or to retreat. Sage turned towards him then and his ears lay flat, staring back into bright azure orbs, trying to find the meaning behind all of this. The Fallen Prince lowered his head in a slow nod, still feeling like he was fumbling in the dark despite the apology. "Uh, sure. Water...right..."

He turned on his heel and began to make his way towards the shells to collect those and fill them with water from a nearby stream. As he gathered the water and lifted his head again, he stared outward across the stream into the woods, into nothing, as his mind struggled with what was happening. Does he want me here? I don't know...perhaps not. Perhaps I should leave for a while? Give him space? I'm not doing any good by staying here... Diaval's thoughts turned over and over a deep from forming on his maw around the large shell he was carrying back to the garden. Avoiding Sage's gaze as best he could he padded up and awaited further instruction on what to do with the water he'd been asked to retrieve.

@Sage

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da]. click for attributions.