It was almost dawn. Tsume awoke suddenly, feeling as if something or someone was missing from the pack. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and did a quick mental role-call.
Let's see…Porky's here, and the one who's full of crap, and the flower, and…
Wait a second.
The runt's not here. The youngest member of the pack, Toboe, was missing.
"Damn him." Tsume growled softly, allowing part of his human illusion to drop, so he cod bare his teeth properly. If he's gone and gotten lost, I'll kill him.
He stood up, stretched, and stalked away from the clearing where the rest of the pack was sleeping. He didn't actually care what the runt was doing. He just wanted revenge about the fact that the runt's absence woke him up early.
He first went down to a nearby river to see if the runt was getting a drink.
Nope. Not there.
Was he hunting?
No, of course not. He was too weak and cowardly to hunt by himself. (The kid was terrified of cats!) He would've gotten one of the other wolves to help him.
Tsume dropped his illusion and began trying to scent the runt. He found nothing, so he raised the illusion again and decided to go back to sleep. Screw the runt. He could get back by himself, and then Tsume could get his revenge.
But, as he passed the river again, he caught a scent: the runt's.
Tsume quickly ducked behind a tree and peeked over his shoulder. The runt was sitting on a low rock that jutted out into the river. His shirt was off, and his head was underwater. There was a stream of white bubbles coming up, along with some foam.
What was the runt trying to do, catch a fish?
Or was he drowning himself?
Tsume turned away. If the runt was trying to kill himself, he wasn't about to watch it.
But he looked back all the same.
Not like he cared or anything.
Toboe soon came up, neither dead nor with a fish. He was combing his hair with his fingers, smiling and humming to himself. The sun was rising now, and the reddish light began to softly illuminate the spot, highlighting Toboe's face and body.
It was at this moment that Tsume realized he wasn't just looking at a runty pup anymore. Here was a teenager on the brink of manhood. The lean, lanky muscles of childhood were filling out into the solidness of a man.
It was a wonder how Tsume had never noticed this change before. It was actually quite obvious that the runt had toughened up. He no longer whined and licked his paws after a long day of running. Whenever he seemed hungry, he kept quiet until the growling of his stomach gave him away.
Tsume suddenly turned away again and covered his eyes with his hands.
What are you thinking? He's a baby! And you're being a pedophile for looking at him like this! He berated himself. Come on, Tsume. You've got to relax. Be the cold and heartless gang leader you used to be. Don't let your guard down just cos the kid's growing up. He looked back. There were drops of water on Toboe's skin, shining in the early morning light. That, combined with his floaty hair and peaceful smile, made him look almost angelic.
Snap out of it! Get a grip, idiot! Just go over there and ask him what he's doing. That's all. Go.
With a deep breath, he stepped into view. "What's up, runt?"
Toboe jumped. "T-Tsume! Uh, hi! Boy, you're up early. I thought you'd be asleep. B-But don't you just love the sunrise?" He babbled as he closed something that clicked and thrust it into one of his many pockets.
"Nice try. What are you hiding?" Tsume growled. Toboe was on the opposite side of the river from him, and there was a line of rocks that served as stepping-stones between the banks. Tsume nimbly jumped across, then hopped onto the rock that Toboe was sitting on.
"I was…I-I was…" He slumped over. "I won't lie to you. I was washing my hair."
Washing his hair? There are more important things to worry about! Like surviving! And finding Paradise! "Why the hell should you care if your hair's clean or not?" He asked harshly; a bit too harshly, judging by the pitifully scared expression on Toboe's face.
"I like having clean hair…" He muttered, putting on that indignant pout that drove Tsume nuts. "You know, you oughta try it sometime."
That pissed Tsume off, but he still unconsciously touched his hair. Despite its short length, it was incredibly greasy and matted. He had never paid much attention to it.
"Come on. I'll wash it for you."
Something about the way Toboe said it drew Tsume to sit down on the rock's edge. He shrugged off his leather jacket, and after a moment's hesitation, pulled off his gray undershirt.
Toboe cupped some water in his palms and poured it over Tsume's head. The water was cold, and Tsume shivered as it ran down his shoulders and back. But he didn't do it because of the cold.
When Toboe's gentle hands began rubbing shampoo into his hair, Tsume relaxed slightly. His rigid posture softened, and he let the smallest of smiles creep onto his face. The massaging fingers on his scalp reminded him of something that one of his pack mates used to do. They could've been his mother, his sister, or his mate. He wasn't certain. It had been so long ago that he couldn't remember anymore.
He continued loosening up as Toboe deftly worked the knots and tangles out of his hair. He wished that he could be like this whenever he wanted. The cold, apathetic attitude he put on was really just a façade, as was his human form. He was a wolf, no matter what he did, and would always be.
But he couldn't just break down and show his true nature, not after years of being cold and ruthless.
Except for right now.
"This feels…really good, Toboe." Tsume muttered, feeling embarrassed. He was grateful that his dark skin kept his spreading blush from being seen.
"You called me by my name! You've never done that before. I've always been 'runt' or 'kid'." Toboe noted. "You must be really happy."
"Hm. I guess I never have. Toboe."
Toboe grinned, a blush coming to his face now.
"I am happy. No one's done this for me since…well, I can't even remember the last time."
"A-Are you happy that I'm the one doing this?"
"Yeah. I am."
Toboe's face became even redder as he scooped up water to rinse Tsume's hair. When it was clean, he ran his hands from the back of Tsume's neck down to the small of his back. His hands stayed there, then slid forward until they were clasped around his waist. He laid his face against Tsume's muscular back.
"You know…this is the first time I've ever felt so close to someone." He admitted. "It's almost like I can smell that something good is going to happen."
Tsume put his hands over Toboe's. "It's like it's sweeter than flowers, right?"
"Yeah. How can you tell?"
"Because I can smell it too." He released Toboe's hands, causing the younger wolf to draw back, embarrassed. He turned around, took the young wolf's hands in his, and pulled him in close. He closed his eyes to relish the moment.
"Tsume, what—"
Tsume interrupted Toboe by bring their lips together. It was a light, teasing kiss, a test to see if Toboe could handle more.
Toboe's adorable puppy face was bright red. "W-w-w-why?" He stuttered, trying to make sense of the whole thing.
"You're one of the brattiest, most incorrigible pups I know." Tsume said, trying to keep himself from smiling. "And yet I think I'm starting to love you."
His face lit up, and he threw his arms around Tsume's neck. "I love you too!" His momentum carried them both into the river. Sopping wet, Tsume let his face relax into a wide grin. When he saw Toboe blinking water from his eyes, he broke out laughing for the first time in many years. He pulled Toboe close to him again, and they sat kissing in the river until the sun was high in the sky.
When they had dried off and were walking back to the clearing, Toboe slipped his hand into Tsume's.
"Let's keep this our secret, okay?"
"Okay." Replied Tsume. He squeezed his new love's hand, then let it go. They were close to the rest of the pack, and they might see.
"There you are! Where've you guys been?" Hige shouted as they came into view.
"We've just been…cleaning up." Said Toboe nonchalantly.
"Since when have you guys given a crap about hygiene?"
"Since now." Replied Toboe, winking at Tsume. "Since just now."