Got my claws in you

Chapter 63- entangled and knotted

(Y/N) POV:

"You look cosy." A voice remarks from behind me as I move towards the living room, ears flickering as I turn to face the feline that's silently snuck up behind me on noiseless treads. Peering at the tiger similarly swaddled in a large sweater and loose pants, a mismatched combo that just... works. Tail curling and swaying as he pads forward, hands slipping out his pockets to wind around me, back-hugging as he leans against me, snuffling at my ears, fangs playfully nipping.

"Hobi helped groom my ears and dry my hair... I feel so drowsy." I admit, relishing in the warmth and comfort of a rare early end to the workday, of already being warm and cosy and back in the nest. Eyes fluttering with content, squirming from the curled embrace when his fangs nip playfully at my cheek, skimming down my jaw and throat in playful scrapes.

"You smell... sleepy. All hazy and nap ready." He concludes from his slow, deliberate scents, cheek rubbing against mine, curls tickling skin. The scent of berries sweet and soft and brushing against skin and teasingly trailing down my throat.

"I don't think I've had half a day off for a long time... I even managed to catch Woo on his day off." I hum, wriggling from the playful nip under my ear, fangs scraping skin, slowly beginning to waddle towards the living room, his weight entirely resting and flopped over me. Clinging on happily. His feet dragging behind him as we walk into the living room, unofficially long since have become the collective pack space.

"How's your pack?" he asks, voice softening.

I shrug, drawing the sleeves of the jumper over me.

"A buck who never got to nest properly during his rut and a squirrel baby beating himself up with guilt. My herd's together but falling apart Tae... and I can't be there for them." Morose at the thought.

The call with Woo, eyes scanning over tired shadows that the makeup he hadn't washed off yet couldn't hide... the droop to his face as he curled up in one of Binnie's thick blankets. Slouched on the couch and face tired, narrower than I remembered it.

"I'm sorry. Sometimes it feels selfish... that we have you, we have our whole pack, we have our eight and you're torn from your own." He mumbles contritely against my shoulder, ears flickering and folding slightly.

My hand rises to cup his cheek, head tilting to nudge my nose against the soft squish of his cheek.

"Don't be sorry. I didn't think an entire season would change. Binnie loves celebrating Spring together." I murmur, a fierce pang of homesickness even as we continue to slowly shuffle towards a couch, flopping down on it together, breath suddenly rushing out of me at his body pinning mine to the couch with his full sprawl, a bubble of surprised laughter that has his lips curving against my jaw.

"What do you usually do for spring?" he asks, voice muffled against me, shifting slightly so his body isn't entirely bracketing mine to the upholstery, twisting and manoeuvring so his back rests against the couch, leg sprawled over my hip and tail settled over my waist.

An entangled mess of limbs as he peers at me, curls wayward and falling in front of his eyes.

My fingers move to brush them out of his line of sight, shivering slightly at the scrape of fangs at the inside of my wrist.

"Well... Binnie's a squirrel. He loves hoarding in the winter, blankets... drinks... us. He does it all. And then come spring he loves having a picnic on the first official day that marks winter ending. It doesn't matter if we still need coats, we're going to be snacking on a blanket in the middle of a park." I murmur, fingers slowly drifting across the curve of his cheek, trailing down to the corner of his lips that part, poking a fang and smiling when he nips.