#alpha mare

"Starshine, what's this?" Mare asked, poking his head into the music room to see a pile of pillows and blankets gathered under the piano in the corner, with one of his sweaters sticking out of the pile.

"Nest," Mad's quiet voice sounded from the nest, muffled by a couple of comforters and a pillow, sticking his head out to look at Mare with bright eyes. "I-I just wanted to make a place somewhere that wasn't the bed where I could be comfortable with your smell..."

"That's adorable," Mare whispered, crouching beside the nest and reaching out to cradle Mad's face in his hand. "Do you want me to get in with you, or do you just want the closeness?"

"Cuddle," Mad mumbled, resting his hand on top of Mare's and pressing his cheek into the touch. "C-Can you hold me for a little while?"

Mare smiled, crawling under the piano and curling around Mad, holding him close with his head against Mare's chest to listen to his heart. gently he ran his fingers through Mad's hair, free hand cradling his waist. "You know how much I adore you?" He asked quietly, staring at the wood grain beneath the piano and making a mental note to paint something for Mad to look at in future.

"I like hearing you say it," Mad whispered, nuzzling closer to Mare's chest as his breathing evened out.

"You are the inspiration for all my creative pursuits and the only thing that makes me feel whole," Mare purred, pressing his nose to Mad's hair to smell his shampoo. "You are the one I want to run a pack with, the man I want to start a family with, no matter how that may look in the future."

"I want to get a cat," Mad murmured, smiling as Mare's laugh rumbled in his chest.

"We can get a cat, love," he replied, lifting Mad's head so he could kiss him, shifting to get more comfortable in the nest before closing his eyes. "Anything you want."

------------------------