Work Text:
Story Sixteen - Displeasure
Ulaz rubbed between his eyes. He didn't really want to go on the mission, but there were sensitive medical supplies that could be recovered, and he didn't trust the other Blades that were available to go on the mission. Fortunately, the two kits that were close to him were eleven deca-phoebes old and were less likely to be put out at his absence or so he thought.
However, there he was kneeling in front of the twins, who were pouting about the fact that he was leaving for a few quintants. He reached out and petted Acxa's headfur, then Keith's, eliciting a purr from them. "Now, please, don't look at me like that, kits. These supplies are very sensitive and need to be handled carefully. Do you want them mishandled and then we don't have everything we need when other Blades get hurt on their missions?"
"No," Keith whined. "But we don't want you to go."
Ulaz scooped up both Keith and his sister into his arms, giving them nuzzles. "I know, my kits. I know, but I need to go. You still have your mom, siblings, and other Dads to keep you company along with each other."
Krolia approached Ulaz and her youngest kits. She rumbled to them, catching their attention. Keith reached out to her. "Mama."
Krolia plucked Keith out of Ulaz's arms and nosed his headfur. Acxa stayed a little bit longer in Ulaz's arms. "We'll miss you, Papa."
"I will miss you and your brother too, Acxa. I will try to come home as soon as I can."
Acxa nosed his headfur for a moment before she was content to be in her mom's arms, next to her twin. The twins buried their face in the side of Krolia's neck, so they wouldn't see Ulaz leaving. It was hard enough without them seeing it too.
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Krolia stared at her sleeping twins in almost exasperation. Ulaz had only been gone for two quintants, and they had pouted through everything. They didn't really play fight their older siblings and had these adorable (not that she'd tell them that) pouts on their faces throughout the duration of the day they were awake. They cuddled her a lot but weren't really reacting to what she was saying, so she gave in and called the rest of the adults of the pack while all of the kits took their afternoon nap. Kolivan petted her headfur and rumbled to her, displaying his ever present patience (in regards to his pack). Antok stroked her cheek stripes with his tail, while Thace nuzzled her.
"It's all right, Krolia. We can help the kits," Kolivan told her. "You need a little bit of time away. Go visit Taulol for a varga. I will talk to Keith, Thace will talk with Acxa, and Antok will take the eldest three to one of the training halls to play fight. We will get them in better moods."
Krolia purred to her pack leader. "Thank you. I was starting to think I was being a bad mother."
"Why would you think that?" Antok asked.
"My twins weren't reacting to me."
"That has nothing to do with your role as their mother," Thace insisted. "All the kits reacted in different ways when the three of us went on missions. They are extremely close to everyone in their pack and don't want to be away from any of us."
"Now, we just have to wait for the kits to wake up from their nap," Antok mentioned.
"While we do, can we stay like this?" Krolia asked, almost shyly.
Kolivan gave her a small smile. "Of course, Krolia. You needn't ask."
Antok sat down in the nest and tugged her onto his lap, his tail still stroking her cheek stripes. Kolivan and Thace sat down in the nest beside her. Kolivan rumbled to her and nuzzled her, and Thace groomed her hair. Closing her eyes in contentment, Krolia purred to her pack members while her kits napped not too far away.
After about a varga had passed, the kits began waking up. Regris and Lotor were first and were concerned when they saw their mom resting against Antok. Normally, she curled around one of her five kits while they napped.
Regris's tail thumped against the bedding in concern. "Mom, are you okay?"
Krolia opened her eyes and smiled at her eldest kits. She slipped off of Antok's lap and held her arms out to them. They crawled over and settled against their mom, her arms wrapping around them. "I'm okay, kits. Everyone needs affection, even adults."
Regris and Lotor stayed snuggled against their mom until their younger siblings woke up. As Krolia figured, the pouts were on her twins' faces once they were awake. Kolivan patted Krolia's head before he picked up Keith, who let out a chirp of surprise, and walked out the door. Thace scooped up Acxa, who was only slightly less surprised than her brother had been. He silently exited the nest room with the youngest girl in his arms. The eldest three looked from their mom to Antok and back again in confusion. Antok smiled at the kits. "Let's go to the training deck, kits. It's time for you three to play fight."
The kits smiled and clambered out of the nest. As Antok passed her, he said, "Go see Taulol. You need some time away from the kits. It doesn't mean you love them any less."
Krolia purred to him as he took Regris, Lotor, and Ezor to one of the training halls. She sighed and left the nest, heading for her surrogate sister's room.
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Kolivan deposited Keith in his private nest. Keith immediately sat up and looked around at his location. His pout was still evident on his face, but it was slowly morphing into a look of recognition. He let out a questioning sound, wondering why he was there. Kolivan stood in front of the kit. "Keith, you need to stop this behavior. I understand you miss Ulaz, but you have an entire pack that loves you, and you have me. You told me a couple deca-phoebes ago that I was important to you. Is that still true?"
"Of course it is! Our entire pack is important to me!" Keith cried out. He lowered his head and his volume. "I'm sorry, Kolivan. I just want everybody home."
Kolivan sat down next to Keith and drew him close to his chest. "You're forgiven, Keith. Just keep an eye on your attitude and don't pout, my kit."
Keith hesitantly nuzzled Kolivan's chest, purring when he got nuzzles in return. While Kolivan was talking with Keith, Thace was having a similar conversation with Acxa with the same results.
%%%
It was another quintant before Ulaz returned, happy with the supplies he recovered. He placed them in his office in the med bay and returned to the nest, wanting to see his pack, specifically his kits. He was walking down the corridor when he heard, "Ulaz!"
The yell happened only ticks before he was jumped upon. He smiled though. It was only the twins; his sense of smell told him that much. Ulaz rumbled. "Hello, kits."
"We're so glad you're back," Acxa nuzzled the back of Ulaz's neck from her position on Ulaz's back.
Keith had his head tucked under Ulaz's chin since he was hanging on his front. "We missed you so much!"
"I hope you didn't give your mom or the rest of the pack trouble." He could just feel the twins' shift in attitude. He sighed. "Don't tell me you two pouted the entire time."
"It wasn't the entire time," Keith replied.
"But it was pretty close," Krolia spoke up. Ulaz hadn't stopped walking and had entered the nest room when he said his last statement.
The twins dropped off the pale doctor and tackled their mom. She was able to keep her footing despite the two eleven deca-phoebe old kits' best efforts. Ulaz smiled as he watched the kits try to take down their mom. Even though he was glad with the medical supplies he recovered, he was even happier to be back with his pack.
Fin