The sun was well into the sky by the time they’d returned. They probably would’ve been back sooner, but when she got up her legs were shaking and wouldn’t stop for miles.

Zora? She probably should’ve brought something back with them. A vole or a rabbit or some other excuse as to where they’d been all night that wasn’t their wild eyes, trembling legs, and shell-shocked expression. But they didn’t, hadn’t even thought to. All that mattered to them was getting back to her, seeing her, touching her, knowing that she was real.

The trees parted to reveal her and Gladiator nearly collapsed from the relief. She was perfect, bright and warm and real. Even as she rushed to them, scanning them critically for injuries with an expression capable of leveling mountains. They'd give their afterlife for a chance to see what kind of havoc she'd wreck with that expression if only she'd taken them up on those fighting lessons.

Cave, they panted, out of breath despite having walked here on plodding limbs. Spooky cave. Went to face my fears. She took a single step forward. It was all she could manage now that the adrenaline of the night had started to wear off. They wanted to bury their face in Zora's fur and stay there forever. They wanted to melt from the heat of their bodies perfectly intertwined, but that would have to wait. Gladiator had something she needed to say, first.

I love you, they said, finally, before something interrupted them or they thought about it too much and changed their mind or worried about what she'd think or say or do once they did. Like a lot. I have for a really long time.

You don't have to say anything. Just thought you should know. Though, they had to admit they'd be pretty fucking embarrassed if she actually didn't and they just had to stand here with that hanging between them in awkward silence. I saw some real fucked up shit in that cave, they amended quickly, by way of changing the subject.

Gladiator's jaws audibly clicked shut, killing the end of whatever they'd been saying when Zora told them to wait. They couldn't even recall what it was, so it must not have been very important, anyway. She just stared, quietly, obediently, her head tilted down and her nose trailing lightly through Zora's fur.

I love you, too.

She swallowed. Her throat was dry, all of a sudden. She couldn't why remember why. She nodded, sucked in a breath and released it with an Okay, numb and buzzing all at once. It would hit them soon, probably. The weight of the admission, their mutual feelings. It would find them after they'd had time to process all they'd seen and experienced in a dark, little cave in an unsuspecting corner of the woods where a dark, little cave should never have been. It would sink it after they'd had a chance to breath, because oh my god holy fuck what the shit oh my god.

But right now it felt like they were underwater. Uh, no, they responded, distantly. Yes. Maybe. I don't know. That, too, would find them soon.

Probably.

Zora spoke her reassurances. They were simple, soft. Grounding. They drew in and breathed out several long, quiet puffs of air, calming the buzzing beneath her skin. She felt murky without it, and a little tired, but that was fine. Because she was Zora's, and they loved her.

They hmm'd, low and rumbling, in the back of their throat as they brought the side of their muzzle to press against hers, confused as to why they weren't already touching. Then their body was moving, too, closing what little distance remained between them and snaking their neck around the back of Zora's to hug her even tighter against them. And their gaze roamed, down her back, past the tip of her tail, to the forest just behind her looking oddly... stripped.

Why is half the forest missing?