The two wolves walked along the plains outside of the forest. They were on a patrol, again, because their Alpha was paranoid about the Furless.

"I can't believe Alpha is making us do EXTRA patrols!" Seagull, a young, sweet grey wolf, said with a snort.

"You know perfectly well why." Crescent responded, narrowing his eyes against the bright, setting sun.

"I didn't say I didn't know WHY," Seagull responded, side-glancing at Crescent. "I just said I can't believe Alpha is making us do extra."

Crescent snorted, continuing on their patrol. He personally didn't care that Alpha was making him do extra. He just cared about everyone else being safe.

"But anyways," Seagull let out a sniff of laughter, eyes scrunched up. "Furless creatures aren't a problem."

"WHAT?!" Crescent's angry voice echoed through the hills. The huge brown wolf whirled on Seagull. "FURLESS CREATURES ARE ALWAYS THE PROBLEM, SEAGULL!"

Seagull pinned his ears tightly against his multicolored head. Crescent's eyes were burning in anger and sorrow and so, so much pain.

"I'm sorry, Crescent." Seagull whispered, barley hearable over the gusts of the hills.

Crescent paused in his fit of fury, twitching an ear in pity at the cowering wolf.

"You're okay, Seagull." Crescent leaned forward, touching his nose to Seagull's nose. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

A soft sound appeared after Crescent's sentence. A tap of a tail hitting the ground. Seagull smiled slightly, looking at his paws. "It's okay."

"Let's continue then, shall we?" Crescent asked after a moment of silence.

Crescent began walking off, but Seagull paused for a moment. There was a loud snap of a stick behind him and the sound of quick pawsteps and the rustles of bush leaves.

"I-" Seagull started but Crescent wasn't stopping.

Seagull paused, swearing he seen white eyes glowing in the shadows...

"Y-Yeah. Okay." Seagull bounded after Crescent.

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

The patrol continued, as the sun continued to climb down to its resting spot, splashing beautiful colors all across the sky.

Crescent and Seagull paused at a river to take a quick break.

Seagull bounded off after a strange white flower, floating in the breeze, while Crescent drank from the river, tired from the long patrol.

Crescent got up and sat for a moment, casually wondering where Seagull had ended up after chasing that strange white flower.

Then a scream echoed across the hills and forest. Crescent bristled his brown fur in fear as the scream shrieked, "CRESCENT!"

Crescent tore through the hills toward the howl from Seagull.

"SEAGULL?!" Crescent howled, his voice pricking with fear. "SEAGULL WHAT HAPPEN-"

Crescent stopped in his tracks, eyes wide as he seen Seagull...

Perfectly safe and sound despite a tiny scratch on his snout...

With a tiny, fluffy, white kit laying right in front of him, head open in a gash.

"Seagull?!" Crescent stammered, his brain not computing with this scenario. "What happened?! And what is THAT?!"

"Oh, chill out, Crescent." Seagull snorted in amusement, squishing up his snout. He noticed Crescent's gaze to his scratch and added, "It's just a scratch. And look! It's a kit!"

Crescent crouched to the kit's level, gazing at its tightly shut eyes. "Where did you find it? And is it hurt??"

The kit, fast as lightning, shot a small paw up and latched their tiny, sharp claws into Crescent's delicate, soft nose.

"AGHH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" Crescent howled, flinging his head around is a desperate attempt to save his nose. Tears of pain sprung to his eyes.

"Hey! Be careful with them! They're only a kit!" Seagull protested, ripping the kit off Crescent's nose. Crescent whimpered as a droplet of blood formed on the tip of his burning nose.

"Besides!" Seagull exclaimed, hugging the kit close to him. "Look at how cute they are!"

"I can't wait to take them to camp!" Seagull raised the kit in the air.

"What." Crescent blinked at him as Seagull beamed at the bleeding kit.

"They're all alone!" Seagull protested, putting the kit down and laying near them as they drifted off into sleep. "Of course with have to help them!"

"Ugh, fine. What're you going the name them?" Crescent groaned, dragging a paw down his eye.

"Well I think you should have a say in it..." Seagull whispered, glancing down. "Since you're going to be the second father."

Crescent blinked, surprised. He felt his fur go hot but he shook himself and stammered, "R-right! We have to name him something wolfy..."

The two wolves gazed at the kit. "Like Ice or Snow..?" Crescent suggested.

"Or Ghost!" Seagull suggested in excitement.

"I like that name." Crescent said with a smile, looking down at the sleeping kit. "That's a great name."

"Wait, Crescent." Seagull whispered, getting up but not meeting his eyes.

"Yep?" Crescent asked, smiling.

"Is it... Is it official?" Seagull asked, wiping his bleeding snout with a paw. "I mean what I said earlier... About the two dads.."

"Oh right-" Crescent stood there, silent.

"But I don't want to pressure you... So soon after losing Sky..." Seagull whispered sadly, tears springing to his eyes as he remembered his dead brother.

Crescent continued to silent, tears falling down his face as he thought about his dead mate. He remembered Sky's beautiful fur... His sky blue eyes as they lit up at the sight of Crescent... The way he could make Crescent happy when no one else could.

"Seagull-" Crescent began, his voice cracking with sorrow.

"You're right." Seagull said, sniffing and wiping his tears out of his eyes. "We are getting off track."

Seagull faced Crescent, sniffling and straightening himself, before shooting a sheepish smile at Crescent. "What I'm meaning to ask is... Crescent. Will you please be my mate?"

"Oh Seagull-" Crescent started, flattening his ears.

"You're right, you're right." Seagull sniffed, but he smiled as though he expected this.

"Seagull-" Crescent started.

"It was dumb of me to ask. You-" Seagull continued but was cut off again by Crescent.

"SEAGULL!"

Seagull looked up at Crescent, smiling sorrowfully. Crescent looked down at him, feeling as though his heart might burst. This wolf was for him, he was sure. So...

He leaned down and touched his nose gently to Seagull's feeling so, so happy and so excited as he said the words he had been wanting to say,

"I'd love to."

And that was all he needed to say.

END