Road to Recovery

[Rynn]

Raist chuckled and shook his head, "No, I'm not hungry. I normally don't eat a whole lot..I probably won't be hungry till after I wake up, if even then.." He yawned slightly and laid his head on his paws, his eyes drooped slightly. "Your welcome to stay in here as long as you like..." He yawned again, "I don't.....mind." His last word was a whisper as he fell asleep, an earthquake could start and he would sleep right through it, he probably wouldn't sleep all that long though, he'd more than likely be back up before nightfall.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname smiled and shrugged. "As you wish." She watched as he quickly drifted off to sleep, and the odd pull she felt around him intensified. She wanted to curl up next to him, but held back. What if he woke up? What would he think of her laying there with him? What did it really mean, her actually wanting to? She debated with herself. She had nothing better to do-no other patients to care for. If he woke up, she could always claim she had wanted to make sure his breathing was normal. She smiled to herself and inched closer. She laid on her stomach next to him, refusing to let herself relax. This, however, proved ineffective. She was quickly asleep, Raist's warm closeness and his scent putting her at ease. As soon as she dozed off, her body responded by relaxing into his, curling up on her side, almost all of her back touching his side.

[Rynn]

Raist remained fast asleep and unmoving as Maname laid down next to him. He slept for several hours and awoke a little before nightfall. He opened his eyes and yawned softly and glanced around the room only to discover Maname still asleep next to him. He smiled slightly and laid there with his head on his paws listening to her sleep not daring to move for fear of waking her but he didn't really wish to go anywhere anyways. He was content where he was.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname's eyes fluttered open and she yawned. She leaned back against the furry wall behind her with a contented sigh, a small smile on her face. She hadn't slept so well in months. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and her mind started working again. With every breath she took, she smelled something strong and heady, something familliar. She felt warm and comfortable, but still didn't realize why. When she realized where she was, she started, leaping up, eyes wide. If ever a wolf could blush, she was as red as a beet. "I...you...I mean... I was just-" She stumbled over her forgotten excuses, adding to her embarrassment. She'd been caught in the act of snuggling against Raist. She sat a good distance from him, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

[Rynn]

Raist blinked in surprise as she awoke and upon realizing where she was and then springing away. He shook his head chuckling as she stuttered over excuses. He smiled at Maname as she sat staring at the ground saying that she shouldn't have. "Its alright Maname, I didn't mind..." He stood up and stretched a little before walking over to Maname and nuzzling her cheek.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname willed herself not to cry, and it worked. She was beginning to get good at controlling her emotions. However, since she was hardly ever embarrassed, she was no good at controlling her embarrassment. So she sat there, writhing in it, trying to get it under control. She snapped to attention when Raist spoke, saying he didn't mind. She was about to speak, to tell him he was wrong and that he did mind, he was just being nice, when he stood. She mimicked him, but more out of concern. "Don't, you'll-" She was stopped short by his cheek meeting her own. She was struck silent, and stood there for a few moments, realizing that he was nuzzling her, but unable to respond. After she got over the shock, she relaxed just a little, and nuzzled him back.

[Rynn]

Raist smiled and stepped back after several seconds with a chuckle, "you were saying? Before I got you distracted." He smirked and sat down waiting for her reply.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

She was sad when he removed himself from her, but she pushed it from her mind. He had initiated a nuzzle, and she wondered briefly if he felt the same way about her as she did him. She tried not to think about it, and instead focused on what she was saying before he nuzzled her. "I was just going to tell you not to move around too much. I don't want you hurting yourself, and you're getting over a pretty major fit." At least, major to me, she thought. She had very little experience with curses, so she wouldn't know the different varieties of fits. She laid down and put her head on her paws, deep in thought.

[Rynn]

Raist smiled and laid next to Maname as she laid down. "Its alright after most of my fits all I need to do is rest and then I'd be back on my feet without too many problems. This past fit was one of the major ones but not the worst I've ever had" He yawned again and laid his head on his paws as well and fell silent as he noticed that she was deep in thought.

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname noticed when he laid down beside her, adding to the whirling thoughts in her head. First lying there, clearly awake, while she snuggled against him. Then nuzzling her to comfort her. Now he was lying next to her again, and he did it willingly. All of this was adding up to mean something that frightened her. Could it be that Raist liked her like she liked him? He was certainly showing it. But she was afraid to ask him. She didn't know what he would say, and more than that, she was afraid of what he might. Her ears flattened at this thought, and she pushed it from her mind. She debated what to do about this in the comfortable silence that passed between them. Finally she decided to just ask him, whatever the consequences. She'd been careful all her life, and now was a great time to break that habit.

She stared at the floor while she spoke, not having the nerve to look him in the eyes. "Raist..." There was a problem. How could she phrase something like this? It took skill, craftsmanship. She had neither of these things. She took a deep breath and just said whatever she could. "What do you...think...o-of me?"

[Rynn]

Raist closed his eyes and relaxed while Maname was lost in thought. At her question he opened his eyes and lifted his head off his paws, he blinked several times making sure he wasn't imagining things and that he had heard her right. He stood and paced around the room for a bit composing his thoughts, he did this alot when he didn't know how to answer something or was stressed or any number of other things. Finally he stopped pacing and laid back down "What do I think of you you ask?" He smiled, "I think you are a very brilliant healer, patient and wise...but I also think that you are....b-beautiful and...I...I like you...alot..." He turned away to try and hide his embarassment and his blush though with his dark fur would be hard to see anyway. "But I...I didn't know what your feelings were....so I didn't say anything for fear of pushing you away...."

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Instantly she regretted asking the question. He looked shocked, and she knew it was because the thought had never crossed his mind. He didn't think anything in particular of her, except maybe that she was good at her job. When he stood and started pacing, it was the icing on the cake. He was composing himself to reject her, and he was trying to be nice about it. She wanted to say Go on, just say it already! Tell me you don't like me and it's preposterous of me to even suggest you did! But she didn't. She kept quiet all the time he paced, and when he laid back down beside her. Maybe he was trying to lessen the blow by being near her? It wouldn't be a good thing for him to be near her when he rejected her. It would only make things worse. So she braced herself and listened to what he had to say.

I think you are a very brilliant healer...patient and wise... So she was right. He only thought of her as a healer, nothing more. She was about to stop him when he continued. But I also think that you are....b-beautiful and...I...I like you...a lot... She was in shock. She had been prepared for a rejection, and instead got the opposite. She was overjoyed, but she remained in control. She listened to the rest of what he had to say with a smile on her face. When he was finished, she composed what she had to say.

"I...I feel the same. I...I was terrified of what you would say to such a forward question...but I'm glad I asked it." I couldn't hide the smile on my face, and I breathed easy. "You...you really think I'm...beautiful?"

[Rynn]

Raist chuckled and leaned over towards her to nuzzle her cheek again, "Yes, I do think your very beautiful, and you weren't the only one afraid to ask cause you were afraid of what the other might think...." He blinked, "You know I never thought I would ever find someone who could ever like me for who I am....cause of my differences and such...but I guess everyone, including a cursed wolf like myself deserves to find someone who they want to be with forever..."

[Hitoban no Fokkusu]

Maname smiled and embraced the nuzzle, returning it softly. His words were lyrical, and she found herself rolling onto her side like she had earlier, curling against him. He said he thought no one would like him because he was different, and Maname almost laughed out loud. "How could anyone not like you, different or not? We're all a little mad here, after all-something's different about everyone. That's the beauty of the island; you're only different if you're normal." Maname sighed and looked up into Raist's so-called "cursed" eyes. They were beautiful and unique, not scary or wrong. She laid her chin down on the flood next to his elbow and chuckled. "You should thank your differences. If it weren't for them, I never would have found you."

[Rynn]

Raist smiled as he felt Maname relax back up against him, "There are lots of wolves who don't like me outside of this pack...one big hater being Gibari, but you are right when you say I should also thank my differences, for if not for them I wouldn't have been kicked out of every pack I came across and never would have found my way here...and I never would have found you...So I guess in a way I do thank my differences." He sighed, "I just wish these fits would leave me alone...I can deal with the frail-skinny look and the eyes, but the fits are what keeps me from being a wolf....it keeps me inside in my bed more than it leaves me alone to do the stuff normal wolves do..." He blinked, "I'm ranting agian aren't I?" he chuckled softly and fell silent.