[ Jack is thinner. He looks more tired, and from his vantage point on Jack's chest the sight of him makes his heart sink. There's everything awful about this gulf between them, and Johnny's never felt more heartache for him, the truth that sinks in: he has done the one thing he promised himself to never do, which is to never hurt Jack.
He makes a dissatisfied squirrelly sound, quietly distressed. It's not what Shadow did to him (she made him play tag pretty much the entire evening), but what he sees in Jack now, older than he looks, and unhappier. It's primitive, older than time, this instinct to protect one's mate, to keep them safe and happy.
He nuzzles into his finger, tail bristling as he squeaks unhappily at him. He can't talk, not like the others, but maybe he'd make his point clear by pooping on the map the next time he skips his meals. Rubbing against his fingers, he darts forward to press his nose lightly against Jack's chin. Once, twice.
There's so much he wants to say, so much he wants to apologize for. ]
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He makes a dissatisfied squirrelly sound, quietly distressed. It's not what Shadow did to him (she made him play tag pretty much the entire evening), but what he sees in Jack now, older than he looks, and unhappier. It's primitive, older than time, this instinct to protect one's mate, to keep them safe and happy.
He nuzzles into his finger, tail bristling as he squeaks unhappily at him. He can't talk, not like the others, but maybe he'd make his point clear by pooping on the map the next time he skips his meals. Rubbing against his fingers, he darts forward to press his nose lightly against Jack's chin. Once, twice.
There's so much he wants to say, so much he wants to apologize for. ]