Haven't wrote for a while, so sorry if it's a little rough!
They watched as Diego growled again, pawing the ground, his claws leaving harsh slash marks in the snow.
"Think we should wake him up?" Sid called to Manny.
The mammoth considered, twisting his trunk in thought. "Hmm, I don't know. He might be having a nice, vivid dream about killing something. You, for instance. I'd sure hate to spoil that."
"Oh, har di hah, Manny."
They watched him silently a little longer. Diego's lips pulled back into a snarl, revealing the set of razors beneath them. Unconsciously, they both winced.
"No, no, y'see Manny, I am a delicate being, and I know signs of distress when I see them. I'm gonna wake him up." He edged forward and reached out with his paw. "Diego? Dieeeeego? Wa- "
"Watch it, Sid. If he lashes out in his sleep, you're done for."
"Pfft, he will not," he scorned, but stepped back all the same.
Manny looked at him through half closed eyes and sighed. He waited for him to lean over once more, then bellowed through his trumpet as loud as he could. Diego sprang to his feet before his eyes had even opened properly, knocking Sid down. Trees rattled around them, small animals scurrying through them in alarm, some falling out. Manny watched the effects of his bellow not without amusement, noting a squirrel that landed on it's head. It sniffed the ground in front of the mammoth for a moment, then gave a little scream as it spotted something off in the distance. Manny watched it run away, shaking his head, before turning back to the tiger.
"You okay, buddy?"
"Okay? You almost gave us a heart attack!" Came a muffled little voice from the ground.
"Hey, you're the one who wanted to wake him up."
"I meant gently. That, my friend, is how you stir a frightened soul from his restless slumber," he retorted, attempting to straighten himself with dignity.
"Yeah, the frightened soul with the teeth and the claws and the reflexes..no, no, actually, you're right, Sid. Next time I'll let you do it your way."
Ignoring him, Sid turned to Diego, who was still panting and standing with his claws braced, his fur bristled, and taking no notice of their conversation whatsoever. "Are you okay, pal?"
"..Yeah, yeah, I just..I need to go for a walk, clear my head. I'll be right back."
They watched him pad away.
"So what do you suppose that was about?"
-------
Diego glared at his paws as he walked, muttering to himself. What was wrong with him? He had left the pack behind him, the pack and their cruelty, so why couldn't he just forget them and get on with the rest of his life? Predators don't do self pity. They can't afford to. So why couldn't he just- "
"Hey!"
He whirled around, hackles going up once more. "Sid?" He repressed the urge to growl. After a dream like that, he was perceiving even Sid as a threat. Especially Sid, maybe.
"I'm not sleepy. Mind if I join ya?"
"Course not." He waited for the sloth to catch up to him, and fell in step beside him. "Sorry if I woke you guys up."
"Hey, no biggie, I know you're stressed."
Diego glanced at him. "You do?"
"Sure. Whenever I wake up you got these little growls going on, like every time you close your eyes there's monsters out to get you. What's up, pal?"
He frowned, considering, and spoke hesitantly, "I'm just..finding it hard to adjust. Until I joined up with you guys, I never realised how things were in the pack."
"You miss them?"
"No, no, I meant..I never realised how unhappy I was there."
For once in his life, Sid was quiet. Diego circled them around a boulder, leading back the way they came. After a pause he asked, "Unhappy how?"
"Well, y'know, runt of the litter, no mate, no- "
"You were the runt of the litter?!"
Diego gave a low growl. "You ever tell anyone that and you're dead."
"Yeah, yeah, but you? Runt of the litter? But you're so.." 'Big and scary' was what he had been about to say. He floundered for the right word. Strong? Capable? Handsome?
"Thanks, but in the pack..if you're born runt of the litter, you never quite live it down. You're a born misfit, and that's just the way it is. Even if I wasn't, there's no loyalty, no...affection, or anything." He trailed off, embarrassed, and picked up their pace.
Sid trotted to keep up with him. "Did you say you didn't have a mate? Howcome?"
"Just..it's complicated, okay?"
"What, they don't let you have a mate just cos you're runt of the litter?"
"No.."
"Well, what then?"
"I didn't.." He growled in frustration. "I was different from the others. I don't know why I was like that. Sota said there was something wrong with me."
"Really? You look okay."
"I don't mean physically," he snarled. He stepped away from Sid into the clearing, lowering his voice as he spotted Manny deep in a slumber. "Just forget it now, Sid, it doesn't matter." So saying he lay down opposite Manny and rested his head on his paws. Sid watched him for a moment before creeping up to him. He eased himself to the ground and leaned back on Diego's side, resting his head on his back. Diego was about to growl when he spoke up. "Y'know, Diego, all that's behind you. You're not the runt of the litter anymore. As far as me and Manny are concerned, you never were."
They sat in silence for a while, Diego reeling from the sincerity of his words. "Thanks," he said finally. "Really, thanks, Sid, that means a lot. I guess all that's happening is I can't believe my luck. I always thought I'd just be the runt forever. I'm think I'm finally..what's the word? I think I'm finally getting closure on it all."
Sid was about to ask again how he was 'different' but, feeling his relax, changed his mind. A few minutes later he was asleep, purring for once, not growling. Sid turned onto his side, nuzzling into the tiger's fur. Whatever was wrong with Diego, he couldn't help but feel glad about it. He couldn't help but feel glad Diego had never had a mate.