An Otter, Who Can't Sleep
Characters: Aikuen, Fira
Location: Near the Govi's house
Aikuen couldn't sleep. As much as he tried to, he couldn't that night. Maybe it was the lack of food. Or sleeping in the new environment. He doesn't know. Those things have never bothered him before, why should they now. Food was just in paws reach, and he has learned to make the best when sleeping in new places. And its not like he tried. He ate a little, and just couldn't eat. Tried moving to a new place to rest his head. That Didn't work either. So he just resigns himself to stay up. He sits across the lit campfire watching his wife and darling sleeping on the cloth, under the cloudless moonlit night. He smiles at her sleeping form while hugging one knee. He then chuckles to himself as he thinks. She was perfect. Fira is smart, funny, beautiful. But she was also so much more. Caring, loving, and gentle... when she needs to be. Strong and independent, but with the urge to still need him. She always made him happier, then he has ever been, just by being in the same room. She was perfect.
Fira's whiskers twitch in her sleep. She mmms, as she repositions herself to curl nearer the fire in front of her. Aik smiles at this, and goes to stand up next to her. He takes the side of the cloth on which he normally sleeps on, and covers her side. She mmms again and pulls the cloth in tighter around her, not waking from her deep sleep. Aik grins and chuckles, as he goes to sit just in front of her, and to the side of the flames. He very carefully and very gently takes her free paw, which just happens to be her left one, to hold in his own left paw. Fira lightly stirs at the movement, but after a bit of mmm-ing, she continues to sleep on. Aik smiles and sighs and starts to lovingly rub her soft paw with his own. Both rings are clearly visible on the otters and the clink together as he rubs. Their matching wedding rings, clearly shining in the night. Reflecting both moon and stars above, and the fire that sits next to them. As if it is still day out, within the rings.
Fira grins faintly and squeezes his paw back, mouthing "Aik..." But remains asleep. Aikuen chuckles and carefully places her paw back in front of her. The laid paw, as if having a mind of its own, lightly squeezes the ground. Then moves from side to side slightly, like its looking for something. Fira mmms, once more. But the feeling in her voice is different. As if displeased at what has happened. She frowns faintly as she pulls her laid paw closer to her body. Aik tilts his head and chuckles. Must not have liked him removing his paw from hers. Aik then goes to lay on his side facing her. He outstretch's his paw and grabs on to hers, and starts to rub it again. The same faint smile creeps across her face. Aik smiles and says, "I love you, Fira..." even though he knows she cant hear him. It doesn't matter to him, as he would say those four wonderful words to anything at any time, even to some random tree.
Aikuen was just about to let go, but as if by some odd coincidence, Fira mouths the words, "I love you... Aikuen...." He blinks a few times and says, "Fi? Are you awake?" to see if she was tricking him. There is absolutely no response from Fira. He blinks a few more times. This is odd. But it doesn't really surprise him. As you grow closer together, he believes that you gain some sort of sixth sense. A way that you can tell what the other is doing, thinking, felling, and saying. Without ever realizing that its happening. This must be one of those times. But just to test it out, he imagines himself passionately kissing her. In his imagination, he has his body pressing her up against a tree, both paws on her sides as he presses his lips against hers. Fira, has both of her arms wrapped around his neck, as she mmms at the long kiss.
In real life, Fira giggles and mumbles, "Aik..." she shutters slightly and groans happily, as a smile comes across her face, while she bites her bottom lip. But she continues to sleep on. Aik laughs aloud as she wont hear him, and sighs at apparently it does work. He closes his eyes, and continues to hold her paw as he tries to doze off again.
Its about an hour later, and the otter still cant get to sleep. He has tried snuggling up to her, and though he enjoyed that very much, it still didn't help. And now he is trying things that he was used when he was a pup. He counted up, then down. Tried humming. Tried to think past on the day, and relive every moment, minute by minute. Nothing. Aik sighs and runs a claw up Fira's side. She squirms in her sleep, and then a small smile appears on her face for a few minutes. She is a deep sleeper tonight. Lucky otter she is. He sighs and lets go of her, giving a small peck on her cheek. She smiles faintly again, and mmms. Aik stands up and walks around a bit. He just generally walks around camp, not wanting to leave Fira at all, even though this place is pretty deserted and therefore secure. This otter knows better. And knows that even in the most secure places, keep your guard up. He hums as he walks in a circle, and then he trips, landing on his face.
Aikuen groans and lifts his head from the dirt, and goes to rub his nose, "Stupid..." He tilts his head as he looks at what he tripped at. It was Fira's pack. And the little otters figurine that Kentar made, had fallen out when his footpaw came in contact with it. The otter goes to sit up and reach for the figurine. He looks at it and turns it over in his paw, smiling. No damage was done during the traveling, or when he tripped over it. Both otters are still there with the little on in their arms. He blinks a few times as he runs a claw slowly over the little one. Ever since his first wife died. He never really thought of having another. And then when his daughter died. He pretty much threw the idea of being a father again out the window. But now, with Fira in his life. He is staring to get the feeling, that he can be a father again. A real father, of kits of his own. He looks to Fira, and keeps his gaze on her, thinking. That she will be the mother.
Aikuen places the figurine near him, as he goes to stare at the lake hugging one knee. The thought of having kits has crossed his mind several times over the last season. Ever since he got married again, the thought has always been there. And he has discussed it with her. At first she seemed afraid of the idea, though she didn't openly flat out say that. He could still tell. Then about a two weeks ago, she was actually warming up to the idea. The otter smiles and stands up to go walk around again leaving the figurine to guard Fira's pack.
Aikuen walks up to his wife and sits across from her again. He tilts his head and pictures her and himself in the future. He smiles at this image. Surprisingly it doesn't scare him. Though the thought of what happened to him and his daughter in the past, still haunt him in the back of his mind. He has changed a lot. But the blood of his ancestors still flow though his veins. And that scares him. He has sworn to his wife that he will never raise a paw against their young. He would do anything to uphold that. But how can he uphold, what he cant control. The otter sighs. Fira is the only beast that can control him, when he is like that. He doesn't know why, but he is glad that she can. Kentar might not be around if it wasn't for her. Though he never told anybeast about that. All the otter remembers, when he goes like that, is black. And when he awakes, he finds things not the way they were. And its always bad. Very bad.
Aikuen blinks a few times as he tires to repress those memories. Ever since he stoped drinking its been harder and harder to block out things. Now all the things he did. His past. Is starting to creep up on him. And if it wasn't for Fira. He would go insane. He has done so many bad things in his life. Things, he is not proud of at all. Things, that disgust him. He blinks a few times and looks over to his wife. She doesn't realize it, but he needs her. More then she can ever imagine. He just hopes that his past, doesn't creep up on him and her. Like what happened with Snive. He closes his eyes, trying to fill that awful memory with a good one. He is holding a little girl otter, a daughter. He creaks open his eyes as a small smile creeps across his face. It worked. But for how long? Aik sighs and goes to lay down next to Fira. Feeling very tired all of a sudden. He curls up behind her going to snuggle against her back.
Aikuen takes a deep long breath of her back fur, and her scent fills his nose and lungs. Aik closes his eyes, and smiles, as he slowly breaths in and out her scent. He enjoys it, and it seems to calm him, whenever he is on edge or angry. Fira who can feel his breath against her back arches it slightly, but then settles as her back gets used to the new warmth, coming from him. He has done this before, and the first time she asked questions, in which he told her why. Now she is just used to it. Aik continues to think. About everything, from having pups to his unforgivable past. But the images in his mind slowly drift away, as her scent relives his troubles. The otter, after a long night of thinking, has finally drifted off. All he needed, was her.
