Page 107 of Raw

Fennec needed a little more time with Papa, but I was sure they would clear things up soon.

“I told Vespyr today to let me know if there’s anything I can help you with. Or if there’s anything I can do to get you help. I know you don’t need it, not for most things. But there are things you can’t deal with on your own.”

Papa’s words were genuine, and even Fennec couldn’t deny it.

Yet, he just nodded and stepped away from Papa’s hug.

“I’m fine,” Fen said.

“Good. I started cleaning the fish we caught. You can help me cook them if you’d like,” he suggested, and Fennec immediately walked over to the fireplace.

“Sure everything’s okay?”

I looked up at Papa and nodded, smiling. “Yes. Don’t worry about it, okay?” I didn’t feel like explaining everything to him, and why Fennec hung those foxtails up there, so I wrapped my arms around him to give him a quick hug before walking over to Fennec to help him clean the fish we caught this afternoon.

I cared a lot about him, and the talk I had with Papa where he told me about Mama bringing Fennec to a therapist still lingered on my mind.

Asking him about it might upset him though, so I reminded myself to keep the questions I had about why she took him there in the back of my mind.

He wasn’t in the mood to talk, so we all sat around the fire to cook and eat without saying a word.

*

“I’m going to sleep too. If you want, I can take you further out tomorrow to see if we come across a deer or bear. We need more meat,” Papa said to me as he was done brushing his teeth.

I was ready for bed myself, and Fennec had gone up into the treehouse almost an hour ago, saying he was too tired to stay up.

“I’d love to. Fennec should come too. Maybe it will make him take his mind off whatever he’s been worrying about.”

Because even if he had apologized to me after I asked him about the foxes, there was still something on his mind that bothered him.

He wasn’t his usual self.

But then…you never knew with Fennec.

“Yeah, might help get rid of his frustration.”

He walked over to me as I got up from the bench, and after a long, tight hug, I kissed his cheek.

“Goodnight, Papa. See you in the morning.”

He nodded, pressing a kiss to my forehead and caressing the back of my head. “See you in the morning, sweetheart. Sleep tight.”

Once he was in his cabin, I climbed the ladder and pushed the curtain aside to reveal Fennec sleeping inside.

I smiled, seeing him so serene.

I took off my boots and set them aside to lay down next to him, and after crawling under the covers, he moved and pulled me close to him.

“What took you so long?” he murmured, sounding half-asleep.

“Talked with Papa for a while. How are you feeling?” I asked, not expecting an answer from him.

It was quiet for a while, but when he lifted his hand to cup my cheek, he slowly opened his eyes and whispered, “I feel best when you’re next to me.”

I couldn’t help but grin at his charming words, and I might’ve even blushed a little.

“Good. That’s exactly how I feel about you,” I whispered, kissing his cheek softly.

---