{"sf1_id":255452,"sf2_id":"Vm2OGbNn","title":"A Wolf in the Dark","author":"Revresbo","words":1144,"posted_at":"2011-06-03T09:02:00.000Z","tags":["Cuddling","Gay Relationships","Love","Mate","No-Yiff","Sad","Short","Wolf"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/255452-a-wolf-in-the-dark","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Vm2OGbNn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/75/fc/75fc04f7-4117-4d94-bcc5-69f6fbb131e4","description":"","content":"The chilled air in the room caused me to shiver, shaking loose the liquid orb from my skin and sending it to conjoin with my pillow.\u0026nbsp; Another tear followed the trail carved by the first and joined its brother in the soft fabric.\u0026nbsp; There was no one reason that I was weeping alone in the darkness of my room.\u0026nbsp; Rather, it was a collection of things.\u0026nbsp; All the little problems I faced day to day were filling my thoughts and spilling out of me through my tears.\u0026nbsp; Night was often hard for me.\u0026nbsp; Something about the end of the day brought out the negative aspects of my life and cloaked the positive.\u0026nbsp; This night, though, was worse than most others.\n\nThe computer screen blurred through my tears as I lay in my bed.\u0026nbsp; There was just too much stress.\u0026nbsp; University, family issues, a small support base: it was all taking energy from me until I felt overdrawn.\u0026nbsp; My normally active tail lay still, and not even my foot twitched as it usually did.\u0026nbsp; The only motion came from my slow breathing and my tears succumbing to gravity.\u0026nbsp; I didn't even browse the web as I usually did at this time at night.\u0026nbsp; All I did was stare, unseeing, at the computer screen before me.\n\nEventually, my bitter thoughts grew too much for me, and my lips drew back as I let out a quiet sob.\u0026nbsp; I turned from my side to my stomach and burried my muzzle in my pillow as I shook with sporadic sobs.\u0026nbsp; My mind was stuck like a broken record.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't find a way to solve my problems, which only fueled my despair.\u0026nbsp; My eyes shut as tightly as I gripped the pillow as I fell victim to my grief.\u0026nbsp; I was alone in the dark, a small candle blown by a strong wind.\u0026nbsp; I was sputtering in my life, tossed by the winds of change without harbour or even an anchor to secure me.\u0026nbsp; I tried to steer to safer climes, but felt like I had lost my compass.\u0026nbsp; I no longer knew which way to turn.\u0026nbsp; And so my ship was tossed, and I slowly drowned in the salty water of my tears.\n\nI cannot tell you how long I lay there, heaving out muffled sobs into my pillow.\u0026nbsp; There was a clock in the room and the time on my computer, but I looked at neither.\u0026nbsp; Eventually, though, my ears perked as my computer made a chime.\u0026nbsp; Someone had signed on.\n\nI raised my tear-stricken muzzle to the screen and blinked to clear my eyes.\u0026nbsp; After a moment, my eyes adjusted enough to read the screen.\u0026nbsp; My expression remained wretched, but my heart leapt a little as I saw who had signed on at this late hour.\u0026nbsp; I went to click on the name, but suddenly a window opened, beating me to the punch.\u0026nbsp; Three words were written in some neutral typeface at the bottom of the box, but those words were enough to bring the hint of a smile to my wolfen face: \"Hello, my love.\"\n\nThe problem with instant messaging is that you have to respond with words, but the wonderful thing about words is that they can denote action.\u0026nbsp; I knew he would not hear me speak the words but rather see them acted out when I replied with \"\\*throws my arms around you, burying my head in your shoulder\\*\"\n\nWe were almost 7000 kilometres away from each other, yet I could feel his arms around me as he returned my embrace.\u0026nbsp; An ocean separated us, but I could hear the concern in his voice when he asked me what was wrong.\u0026nbsp; He was eight hours in the future compared to me, yet he went out of the light to cuddle with me in the dark.\u0026nbsp; I was the metaphorical night to his day, but he lay down beside me and chased away the shadows of despair.\u0026nbsp; If I closed my eyes, I could feel his strong arms around me and his stomach fur merging with the fur on my back.\u0026nbsp; I could hear his gentle reassurances as his lips brushed my ear.\u0026nbsp; I could smell his calming scent.\u0026nbsp; I could taste his tongue as he kissed my muzzle.\u0026nbsp; It was only words and astericks on a screen, and yet it was everything to me in that moment.\u0026nbsp; I was no longer alone and scared.\u0026nbsp; I was no longer on a stormy sea, tossed by the wind, but rather on still waters in a safe habour.\u0026nbsp; As he nuzzled me and licked my neck, I could feel the stress dying away.\u0026nbsp; It was not entirely forgotten, and some stubborn threads of melancholy stuck to me, but I felt a hundred times lighter.\u0026nbsp; A gentle smile lit my countenance.\u0026nbsp; My tail started to slowly wag behind me and my ears came forward again.\u0026nbsp; I was calm again.\n\nMy eyelids started to droop.\u0026nbsp; My breathing began to slow and quieten.\u0026nbsp; I didn't realize it, but I was falling asleep now that I was freed from my worries.\u0026nbsp; My last conscious thought was, _I love you, my mate_.\n\n* * *\n\nI won't go so far as to claim this story to be a one hundred percent accurate retelling of any portion of my life, but it certainly reflects reality.\u0026nbsp; This story is dedicated to my beautiful mate who has helped me through so much despite the relatively short time we've known each other.\u0026nbsp; I'm sorry I drag you through the valley of darkness with me, but thank you for bringing me safely out again.\n\nThis story was also written with two songs in mind: You Raise Me Up, as performed by Josh Groban, and How Sweet It Is, as performed by Michael Bublé.\u0026nbsp; I've listened to both songs countless times and love both of them.\u0026nbsp; Both now inevitably make me think of my mate.\u0026nbsp; So, after listening to them once again, I decided to stop and take a moment to write this story to thank my mate.\u0026nbsp; And I know I put sad in the tags, but that's really only the start of this.\u0026nbsp; It ends happily, especially for me.\n\nAnyway, I've hoped everyone else enjoyed my work, too.\u0026nbsp; It's shorter than what I usually write, but I like it regardless.\u0026nbsp; Although that may just be spillover from the happiness I get from just thinking about my mate.\u0026nbsp; So please leave comments and constructive criticism.\u0026nbsp; Hell, just let me now you've been here and tell me something about what you think.\u0026nbsp; I feel better when I know people have read my work and have something to say about.\u0026nbsp; So please leave a comment! \\*puppy dog eyes\\*\n\nOh, and as a post script.\u0026nbsp; Sorry, Babe, for all the times I've fallen asleep on you mid-conversation.\u0026nbsp; The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.\u0026nbsp; Love you.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}