Words: 1019It had been a rough morning for Petal. She'd been roused out of her sleep when some of the younger members of the pride had tried climbing to a high place and falling. One of them had broken their ankle, and others their ribs. Fortunatelly, most of them were only bruised. Dumb kids trying to prove themselves to one another. It made her stomach hurt, and she viciously wondered where their parents were.
She did not have a good morning, and it made her sour. Normally she would wake soft and slow curled into her mate's side. There, she was warm as safe and the mornings would be perfect. This morning was far from perfect. She wouldn't complain about her job - never! But...
She was still tired. She wanted to crawl back into her den and into Dwn'r side and go back to sleep. Her mate was important, though, one of the two leaders of their pride. She would never pull her mate away from her work just because she was tired. Perhaps her daughter would be willing to cuddle with her...
She padded off towards her den. If no one was there, then she'd find a place.
Normally, she wasn't bothered. She took a shift late in the evening as the official Healer on Duty. All healers were on call, though, and today it was just too big for any one healer. She was closest. It made sense. The pale purple cheeton stopped to drink at a pool of water that formed off in the caves. The water was clear, and crisp.
Then off, further towards her den.
She was surprised to find her mate still laying in the den. The leopardess was waiting up, stretched out their furs. She was having a conversation with someone, Petal couldn't be bothered to remember her name right now, but she pushed passed the other and flopped back, heavily, into her mate's side.
She huffed loudly, burying her face into her mate's side.
Dwn'r gave a small chuckle, glancing at her mate for a moment. "Thank you, you are dismissed," She told the other she was talking to. Dwn'r turned her full attention to her mate, nuzzling the pale purple cheeton's side. Petal groaned softly, trying to press even further into her mate's side. She was tired. That kind of tired where the body feels like its made of stone. She felt cold, and whiny. She had only just gotten off of a twelve hour shift when she was roused again not an hour later to help.
"Sweetheart," Dwn'r cooed. Petal whined, blinking her blue eyes up at her mate,
Dwn'r was much larger than her, and could cover her whole body with her own if she wanted to. Petal wanted that right now, to be pressed into the furs and held down. Dwn'r shook her head fondly, licking the top of her mate's head.
"Sleep, sweetheart, I'll be here when you wake," Dwn'r promised. Petal smiled up at Dwn'r, pressing her nose to Dwn'r's before promptly burying her face back into her mate's side.
She wasn't sure how long she slept, but Dwn'r was warm against her side when she began to wake. She couldn't open her eyes yet, but she could feel Dwn'r breathing slowly with her, as well as the soft soothing sound that Dwn'r made when she was around.
It made her feel all warma nd fuzzy inside. She hummed softly to show that she was waking up, and Dwn'r nuzzled her head softly. She could hear her mate talking to her, but she knew it would be nothing important about the pride. Her mate knew she woke slowly unless it was an emergency.
When she finally woke, she could hear the soft praises her mate was spouting. She couldn't quite move just yet, besides the slow, sluggish stretching she did. She took a deep breath that somehow formed into a yawn at the end.
There was a pause in the speaking for a moment before Dwn'r spoke again.
"Good morning, sweetheart," She cooed softly, nuzzling her mate gently on the forhead. Petal blinked he eyes open, shifting into a more upright position. She leaned up and kissed her mate softly. She gave a soft giggle when Dwn'r pushed her over a bit and began grooming her face.
"Morning," Petal said, voice still sleepy-soft and raspy. She yawned again, her tongue getting stuck too far out when she finished. She stayed like that for a moment, not bothered in her sleepy state. Dwn'r gave a soft laugh and nuzzled her forhead.
"You seem to be feeling better," Dwn'r stated, an amused note in her voice. She only showed emotion like this around her mate. She would never display any of this out in the eye of the public. They would think she was soft, and she would have to put them in their place.
Petal was the only one who would ever see this side of her, and their children together. Atama was privvy, their first child together who went to explore the world before returning to the pride with a heavy heart. Dwn'r was glad their girl was home, and Atama would be too, eventually.
"I am," Petal agreed, humming a little bit as she spoke. She didn't feel anywhere close to exhausted anymore, but that didn't mean she wanted to get up just yet. She wanted to enjoy the sleepy-warmth of her mate for just a bit longer. She'd be heartbroken if Dwn'r wanted to get up now.
Fortunately, her mate stayed put. Dwn'r could still see the faint note of morning sleepiness in her mate. She wouldn't dare move. She was just happy that her mate was feeling better after the whole ordeal before her nap.
"I'm glad to hear that," She said instead, her voice soft with affection. She wasn't quite ready to start the day yet either, and so far their lazy morning had gone perfectly. She wished it could be like this more often, but that would never happen.
Even so, she would enjoy this while she could.