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After everything that Obi had been through recently, it was only right for Loba to treat him. He deserved a break. In fact, he needed a break. So much cruelty, hatred, and immense responsibility being harbored toward one individual would absolutely be more than enough to bring them down. While Loba had been with Obi every step of the way, it was undeniable that she had noticed his change in attitude recently. It was so incredibly subtle, but it was enough to let Loba know that something was wrong. He was always so positive, though recently he seemed to want to avoid even talking about the topic of Cleo or Boreas.
Loba could not blame him. So much so that she never brought it up. When he was ready to talk about it, he was ready to talk about it. What she intended to focus on was improving Obi's mood in the present. She wanted to see that same passionate, intense shine to his eye that he always had when she first fell in love with him. While she always did shower him with gifts, this next gift was particularly special.
"Can I open my eyes?" Obi asked, lifting his head.
Only minutes prior, Obi had just arrived home. As soon as he stepped through the doorway, Loba instructed him to close his eyes and follow her directions. She guided him through the house, reassuring him that it was all a part of a surprise she had for him. Now, he was standing in the middle of their living room. His eyes were shut, and his hands were held out in front of him so as to not accidentally walk into anything or knock anything over.
"Nope. Not yet, honey!" Loba called, attempting to throw her voice to the other side of the room as she slowly made her way toward the door that lead into their back garden. When she reached her destination and placed her hand on the door handle, she turned to face him. If only he could see the way that she was smiling - giddy, even - doing her best to fight back a giggle of excitement. "Okay, are you ready?"
"Yes. Does that mean I-?"
Without even allowing Obi to finish his sentence, Loba swung open the door.
His eyes opened, only to be greeted with a large, incredibly fluffy, white dog bounding towards him. Obi was quickly tackled to the floor, letting out a quiet grunt upon impact, only to melt into laughter. His hands reached out to pet the excited hound, patting whatever piece of soft fur he could reach before a tongue swiped across his face. The tongue constantly attacked him, muting Obi's chuckling as he had to close his mouth from time to time, only to melt back into warm laughter whenever he had the opportunity.
"You're beautiful! Yes! You're gorgeous!" Obi coddled the huge ball of fluff, gently squishing the lil (big) face of the animal before he was then ambushed by another barrage of licks.
"I think she likes you." Loba purred, crouching down beside the two, giggling and petting the dog herself. She allowed Obi to playfight with the new addition to the family for a little while until she finally helped him sit up.
As soon as Obi managed to get into a seated position, the fluffball sprawled across his lap on her back. That meant only one thing. Tummy rubs. Obi fulfilled his duty, immediately giving her all the tummy rubs she needed as he looked up at Loba with a bright, bright smile. The smile lit up the room with ease. The way his eyes dazzled as he met her eyes was magical.
"I- Thank you-" He quickly managed, wrapping his free arm around Loba's waist, bringing her close and pressing his lips to hers. For once, the artist had been rendered completely speechless. There were no words that he could find that could describe how he was feeling, but the warmth and love within his smile and in his kiss were enough to communicate everything to his beloved.
When Loba pulled away, she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Of course, you have me, gorgeous, but..." She fell quiet when the hound rolled away from Obi, only to begin rolling across the carpet. Clearly, she could not contain her excitement. Loba giggled, leaning into Obi, beaming as she felt his arm move up to wrap around her shoulders. The two watched their new baby with fondness and love. "... I felt that maybe she would help you feel less alone," Loba admitted.
"I-" Although Obi went to speak, his voice cracked. Loba quickly averted her attention up to him, hands gently cusping the sides of his face, gently caressing his cheeks. Although Obi was beaming, his lips were trembling and his eyes were damp.
"Oh, beautiful..." Loba pulled him into the tightest embrace that she could manage, only squeezing him closer when she felt his arms envelop her in return.
"I do not know what I would do without you, my love. I would be so, so lost. I would... If you... I don't..." He trailed off as the lump in his throat grew greater. He trembled into Loba's embrace, resting his head on her shoulder as a tear fell from his eyes.
"Shhh... Shhhh... No need to think about that." Loba reassured him, her hand gently rubbing up and down his back, fingertips even drawing circles in an effort to comfort him. "You have me now, don't you? I'm not going anywhere." As soon as Loba said that, a snout nudged itself in between them. Loba giggled. "And neither is she."
The fluffball nudged her way past Loba to climb up onto Obi. He immediately wrapped his arms around the puppy, fingers delicately running through the soft white fur. His eyes were closed, tears still streaming, until he was forced to lift his head away as the barrage of tongue attacks returned. He smiled brightly, chuckling as he instead began to ruffle the white fur. "Oh, Loba. She's perfect!" He praised as blue, shining eyes fixed onto his newest angel. Then, they darted up towards Loba when the puppy relaxed, leaning her weight into him. Obi wrapped his arms around her like she was an enormous teddy bear as his gaze settled on his dearest Loba. "You're perfect."