Jack tried to shut out the whole world-- Every sensation he had was making his head pound harder.
Abruptly, he was aware of Mama sitting on the floor beside him, as she had started nuzzling his buried face, trying to get under his folded arms in order to give him kisses, with a heavy paw plopped over his shoulder for stability. In the same second of time, he simultaneously wanted to just wrap his arms around her and fall on the floor with her-- and also-- wanted to shove her away and cry in pain.
He was nauseous, and his skull was on fire from the inside. His eye hurt terribly, and he could swear he saw small sparkles and lines whorl around the edges of his vision.
She was persistent though. The nuzzling for access to his face changed tactics, and she began just rubbing a cheek on the back of his head and back, making happy murmurings. Slowly, realization trickled in-- She was trying to rub his head, in the place he had rubbed hers when she had been suffering her own relentless head pain. It made him feel like an ass, continuing to just clutch his head and groan like that. He dared to see the light in the room, and slowly took his arms down, blearily opened his eye, and gave mama a confused and pain-suffused look. Her eyes spoke volumes that the rest of her face could not express. Worry, concern, affection.. He really did feel like an ass.
Lovingly, he put a hand on her big beautiful head, and rubbed in 'the spot'. She responded by pressing her forehead hard against his, wrapping him in a bearhug with him still on the bench pulled up to the table. She was soft, and fluffy after the bath. Smelled like rich cedar heartwood, and pine needles, with just the hints and undertones of her natural musk. .. So soft... Without realizing it, he own arms were wrapped around her back, and her weight was threatening to shove him over into the person seated near him on the bench. He stiffened, and pushed back to prevent being toppled over, and to stay upright. His head slipped down the side of hers, until his left eye and cheek were buried in the left side of her neck and shoulder, the shared embrace getting tighter, her long muscular neck wrapping around the left side of his, so that her muzzle was against the back of his head. Mama was "purring" and chuffing softly at him, but all he could manage was a murmuring groan. For several seconds, his entire universe was just that warm fluffy body next to his, and nothing else. It contrasted the burning pain in his head like white on black. He wanted the pain to go away, but did not want the hug to end.
It was not meant to be. The long pause in the conversation came to an end, as a voice filtered in through the sound of the pounding in his ears, and the gentle, loving sounds of mama's breathing, purring, and the sound of her beating heart thundering beside him.
Awwwww.. Look at them...
It was the clever-girl. Jack felt embarrassed, and mama clutched him tighter. She let out an almost inaudible warning growl; He didn't need to feel her thoughts to know them, she was practically shouting "Mine" at dixie, while clutching him tight. Oh-- that silly bear...
He didn't care who saw, or what they saw. He squeezed her tighter and leaned into her--
... I love you too mama... he whispered softly into her shoulder.
------
After he had shut her out, so that he could answer the plant-thing's questions, her jack had not really returned to what she felt was normal. He made sad and pained noises, and covered his head. He was making the sounds-- Small bits of it were understandable now, but just little bite sided nibbles, when she wanted the meal, and the understanding was fading from her fast. She looked across the table at him, while she snacked on the sausages slowly, waiting for him to stop talking.
It was hard for her. Waiting. None of the other 2 legged things had continued talking except the plant-one.. She could tell jack did not really want to keep talking-- his scent was straight up duress, drenched under a heavy stink of cedar and pine. She watched, and ate another sausage.
It bothered her that he wasn't moving. Was he OK? He was still "talking" at least.. but she did not like how he was hunched over like that. She slid off the bench, and plodded around the table quietly, sat on the floor nearby and continued watching. The food was tasty, but she was more concerned about her Jack. Finally, the plant-one strode away from where she had been standing near to the table, and away toward the way out. She had wondered when that would ever happen. She got closer to Jack, and tried to nuzzle him... His tired and agonized groans made her feel sad and worried...
...
She wanted to protect jack. Keep jack. He was hers. HERS. He had made the.. "Embarrassment?" smell she had mistaken for 'interest' earlier at the sounds that had come from the other she-2-legged-thing, and she would have none of it. She clutched him closer, and eyed the other 2 legged things warily.
He made sounds.. realization and difficult understanding... her own understanding.. filtered in. He had said them so slowly.. Slow enough for her to grasp... The words were a poor substitute for what they usually shared, but she knew he was tired and in pain. The words did not convey those other bad things, just the thing he wanted her to know. ...She already knew... She knew... She loved him too. She was thankful to him for helping her understand that this was more than simple growling. She was irritated that she could only hold on to small bits.. single words disconnected from the context of the others... but it was way more than she understood before. He was hurting so much now.. She could smell the distress leaking from his skin-- and the thought that he had suffered all this, just because of how much he loved her... She no longer had any doubts about how far he would go to stay with her. she knew he wouldn't just walk away... She wanted to let him know, she wouldn't either.
She squeezed him tighter, still warily eyeing the others in the room.
Author
Topic: Mystville [Game Thread] (Read 120360 times)