Spruce

@SushiWatson

Your Spruce




is giving my Voltaire some weird feelings.




I'm sorry it's so looooong



The opportunity to study the Arcane forces at work in the Starfall Isles was an unprecedented honor, of that Voltaire was very aware. The magic that is inherent to this region of the world is unlike that of any other element, and to observe how the flora and fauna of the place in their natural habitat was a real boon to his research. Accompanied by Valkyrie, one of his clan's Messenger Scouts as well as his temporary guide on this journey, Voltaire set to work organizing his specimens. It was just his luck when one of the Satin mice got loose. While he would normally let something as common a mouse go if it escaped, this particular individual had shown exceptional intelligence and he was eager to bring it back to the Viridian Labryinth for more tests. Excusing himself from their makeshift camp, Voltaire got to work tracking the mouse.

The mouse's scent was easy to follow. Voltaire kept his nose to the ground as he tracked it but stopped abruptly when he recognized a different odor. He blanched as he realized the tricky little creature had retreated into the middle of another clan's territory. Huffing in irritation, he pressed on; he would not let himself be bested by a mouse! His target was nearly in his sights when he was startled by a frightened shriek. The scent trail lead in the same direction as the yell, so he hastened to follow it. A moment later he discovered the owner of the terrified voice as well as his run away specimen.

Before him was another male Tundra, probably around his age, cowering on his belling with his claws over his eyes. The mouse sat in front of him, its nose twitching in confusion. Acting fast, Voltaire swooped in and grabbed the mouse before it could get away. Quickly dropping it in his specimen pouch and buckling it closed, he then turned to the other dragon, confused himself.

"Hey," he began hesitantly. "Uh... The mouse. It's, uh. It's gone."The stranger uncovered his face and opened his eyes with a grimace. Voltaire was stunned to see his own electric blue eyes reflected back at him.

"A-are you sh-sh-sure?"

"Uh, yeah." Voltaire was puzzled. It was just a little mouse, how could it have scared this guy so bad? Maybe he had just been surprised or thought he'd seen something else. In either case he looked genuinely afraid. Voltaire suddenly felt awful for having let the mouse get away. "Hey, uh, I'm sorry about the mouse. It was my fault it got away, I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing."

The other dragon wiped his eyes and sat up. Voltaire couldn't figure out why the tear stains on the stranger's fur upset him so much. "It's o-okay," he whimpered softly. He rubbed his eyes again and it was the Voltaire realized how much this dragon looked like him - they could have been brothers if his fur were a little darker, or Voltaire's a little lighter. When the lookalike gazed back up at him his eyes were still wet with tears and his mouth was formed into a sheepish smile. Voltaire felt his heart jump into his throat. He suddenly felt very hot. "I was just surprised, is all."

"Yeah..." Voltaire was at a loss. How could this dragon, who looked so much like himself, be so... so cute? Voltaire certainly wasn't as adorably handsome as this dragon, what with his dirty glasses and harried aura. But when he had smiled at him... Voltaire felt himself fall in love, just a little bit, and he railed against that thought. How unbelievably vain! He wanted to feel sick, but all he felt was pleasantly warm and a little bit embarrassed. "Is there, um... Is there anything I can do for you? To make you feel better, that is!" The last sentence was startled out of him in fear his words would be taken the wrong way. He fiercely hoped that the other couldn't see him blushing hotly under his fur.

"Well, mmh, maybe one thing... B-but you don't have to if you don't want to! It's kind of a weird thing..." Now the stranger was blushing as well! As much as he was nervous about making eye contact, Voltaire made sure the other saw the question in his eyes. The red tinge under the light blue fur on his counterpart's face became even more pronounced. "W-well usually when I get sc-sc-scared my friend Bubblegum and I, um... We um... We cuddle."

Voltaire was positive that he popped a blood vessel.

"And I know we just met but you seem n-nice and I really just need to be h-h-held right now?"

It took just three strides for Voltaire to come up right next to the handsome stranger and plop down with little ceremony. He was sure that if he tried to form a sentence right now he would end up saying something terribly embarrassing and far too personal. He let out a short sigh of relief when the other gave him a little smile and laid down next to him, curling himself around Voltaire's body. Voltaire's mind was hazy with warmth and softness as found himself pressing his face into his partner's silky mane.

"My name is Spruce. W-what's yours?" His new friend asked.

"I'm Voltaire." He breathed contentedly.

"Voltaire. You're a v-very good cuddler, Voltaire." Voltaire couldn't help the smile that spread across his face or the way the he rubbed affectionately against Spruce. Voltaire was a young scientist only just starting his career; he hasn't really even chosen his field of study yet. Perhaps, he thinks, he could study this strange phenomenon right here. He's sure that he could spend many years researching why Spruce makes him feel the way he does and still have more questions than answers.