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Whisper hadn't seen Tangle like this before.
The two were currently staying at a small apartment in Spiral Hill. Or rather, a safe house of Whisper's converted into a proper living space when she found out Tangle didn't have a place to stay after the downfall of Restoration HQ. It was a nice little place, rather cozy. They enjoyed living here together.
Though today, Whisper found Tangle… rather morose. The Lemur was strewn face-down across the couch, her face buried in an arm rest, and her usually vibrant tail laying limp sprawled out across the floor as a long, fluffy tripping hazard. The wolf frowned; what had happened? She walked over, and gently prodded one of Tangle's ears, watching it flick in response.
“...Hey Tangle… y’okay?” She asked softly. She waited for a response, but all she got was a quiet, distressed mumble. The wolf sighed softly, deciding to change her tactic. “.... Kay. Not okay. Can I… sit with you?” The Lemur took a moment, before mumbling something that Whisper didn't think was a no. The wolf gently sat down on the very edge of the cushion, a rather precarious spot for anyone not trained to perch like she was.
“... Wanna talk about it? ‘m here for you.” She gently asked as she ran her fingers gently through Tangle's pompadour. “...You can wrap your tail around me if it helps.” Upon being given permission, the tail lazily starts to move. Whisper smiled softly, and reached down to help guide the tail upwards from the ground. She felt it wrap around her, laying loose around her hips, and gently gave the part she was holding a soft, small squeeze.
“... That's my girl. Take all the time you need. Not going anywhere, okay?” The wolf's smile brightened a little. She felt her wisps mumbling in their capsules, clearly desiring to assist the poor Lemur. She could hear them through her mask… words of encouragement that Tangle wouldn't hear, but she hoped she at least could hear their muffled chirps.
The two sat in silence for a minute. Whisper idly ran her fingers through the fur of Tangle's tail; she knew a spot that the Lemur liked. The wolf contemplated letting her wisps out, but figured having five little aliens flying around might overwhelm the currently distressed girl. Whisper glanced at Tangle's head… she was still face down against the arm rest, but she could hear a gentle purr beginning quietly. That spot always helped.
“... Is it… ‘bout what happened last week? When we were trapped?” The wolf asked, thinking about it. The day they had been stuck in a capsule buried under rubble for several hours… and had admitted things to each-other about how much they truly liked one another. It was a stressful day, but one that had ended with them growing closer together. The Lemur took a second, before she slowly nodded in response.
“... Mom…” the Lemur mumbled, her voice small. And just like that.. it all began to click for Whisper. She remembered the girl mentioning that she doesn't see eye to eye with her mother. Whisper took a deep breath.
“… Want me to join you? So we can talk ‘bout it?” She asked quietly, as her tail swished gently behind her, brushing over top Tangle’s body. After a moment, the Lemur mumbled an agreement, and there was a small nod. Whisper smiled, and began to lay down across the couch similarly to the way Tangle was. After a moment of silence, the Lemur shifted, and wrapped her arms and legs tight around Whisper, trapping the wolf in a vice grip of love and need for comfort. Whisper chuckled, and simply leaned into the hold, letting Tangle's tail and limbs tighten around her as she got comfortable. “... there we go. I'm not going anywhere. I’m listenin’.”
“... she…” the Lemur began hesitantly. Whisper stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt her girlfriend. “...Mom… was apparently contacted during the… the time we were stuck in the capsule and after it. It's standard procedure or something. Reporting on me being missing and getting found.” The lemur's tail tightened slightly around Whisper's waist, wrapping around a bit more to create another coil that pinned her arms to her sides, not that Whisper minded.
“...How did she take it?” The wolf gently asked, bracing herself. She could already feel the Lemur's limbs squeezing around her more firmly.
“... She was… annoyed. That the Restoration ate up precious company call time for something that didn't matter.” Whisper winced slightly as she felt the Lemur's claws gently press into her fur, but didn't interrupt. Tangle continued, her voice becoming more audible, but tinged with a slight sob.
“... She called me late in the night. Apparently waited until she actually could make time to yell at me. She was mad at me. Mad I wasted her time. Reminded me that it was my own fault for… for going on adventures and doing hero stuff and getting into trouble instead of doing what she set for my future. Told me that… that next time something like this happens…” The Lemur took a moment to continue, pausing. Whisper gently used her hand to pat at Tangle's side to reassure her that she can continue, wishing she could reach better but knowing it's more important to let Tangle anchor herself like this.
“She doesn't want to hear anything about it unless I die or something. And that if her time gets wasted again on pointless calls… she'll… she'll Fine the Restoration for waiting precious company hours on something that… th-that…” the Lemur sniffled, burying her face in the back of Whisper's ponytail. “... something that’s so unimportant. She doesn’t need a reminder that I’m.. I’m just a failure…”
Whisper had to bite back a comment, her fur bristling. As tempting as it would be to get angry at Tangle's mother… she knows that isn't what Tangle needs. She barely held back her tail from lashing. She simply let Tangle bury her face in the back of her head for a moment longer. After a minute, she finally spoke up.
“... she's wrong.” She kept her answer to the point. “...You were in real danger that day. Her work isn't more important than that. If she can't see that… that's her problem” She could hear a barely mumbled noise behind her head. The wolf took a moment. “... She didn't see how it affected you. All she cares about is her job.”
Whisper felt Tangle's grip tighten around her. She could hear the Lemur mumbling a disagreement of some kind; it was hard for her to hear, but the words ‘failure’ stuck out. Whisper decided she was going to have to unleash her secret weapon… a tactical strike she had meant to save for their first date. At least this will be good practice.
“... Tangle? Can you… let go of me?” The wolf asked, though she already knew what the answer was going to be as she felt the Lemur's grip tighten. She sighed softly, and wiggled a little. “... can you… move your arms underneath mine and free up my legs a little?” After a minute of deliberation, Tangle's arms and legs shifted a bit, moving to wrap more around the torso without trapping the arms. She felt the tail shift upwards, the coils moving towards her midsection and wrapping around the Lemur to help support her weight. Whisper smiled a bit at this; the ultimate backpack. Now she could do what she needed to and not leave her girlfriend behind.
The wolf very careful stood up from the couch. She felt the additional weight of the curled up Lemur on her back… a weight she would carry to the ends of the earth if she had to. Thankfully, the kitchen was much closer. She made sure her steps were careful, not wanting to jostle the girl. She began to get ingredients out… she's memorized where these are.
She set the oven to preheat, and began to get everything ready. The flour, the sugar, the pan to make it in… a few others.… and of course, the one ingredient that caused Tangle's nose to start sniffing behind her. She snickered.
“...I know you can smell it. Here. Open wide.” Whisper moved her head to the side, and gently lifted a strawberry between her fingers towards the Lemur behind her. She giggled as she felt the small fruit vanish in an instant; she's almost shocked her fingers are intact. “That's my girl. Not giving you more yet, but hope that’ll tide you over for now.”
The process was rather… well, not quite simple. She hopes she's doing this right, but her mind is somewhere else… the Lemur on her back. She'll just have to hope it comes out okay. She decided to check in on her girlfriend.
“...Tangle, how are you holding up?” The wolf waited patiently as she cracked a few eggs into a bowl. The Lemur's weight shifted on her back, and she felt the girl's chin press into her shoulder.
“... Just… tired… wanna just… turn to dust…” she mumbled, before sighing. “...or… I did. But… can't turn into dust while Whisp is holding me… can I?”
“That’s right.” Whisper said with a soft smile, now stirring everything. “... want a second strawberry? Know what I said, but...” After a mumbled response, Whisper happily held up a second one, and like before this one vanished instantly the second it neared Tangle's lips.
Soon, the wolf had put the secret weapon into the oven. Now she just needed to do… something for an hour. She shifted her shoulders, and scratched her chin. She had the patience to just stay still, but she didn't want to put Tangle through that, especially in her current state. She glanced back at the TV… hmm.
“..Want to watch that show you like together? We can watch that episode where…. they're forced to get drivers licenses again.” She asked, a sly smile on her face. Two episodes of that show should be just enough time for her to keep Tangle's attention while her master plan unfolds in that oven. She began to put some popcorn in the microwave. “Maybe… follow it up with the episode where they're forced to play baseball against the other universe?” She listened for the Lemur's response.
“... that… sounds nice…” Tangle mumbled, leaning further into Whisper's shoulder as the sound of popping began to emanate from the microwave. Whisper sighed softly; the feeling of that Lemur's cheek so close to hers was lovely. She opened the microwave door, grabbed the bag, and then poured it all into a large bowl before she began to carry both Tangle and the bowl back to the sofa.
The show watching was rather cozy. Tangle was pressed between the back cushion of the sofa and Whisper's own back, though the Lemur didn't seem to mind. She was still quiet, but she did occasionally reach for popcorn, watching as the two characters on screen got into a heated racing competition instead of learning how to drive properly. Whisper watched as the other girl’s tail unfurled slightly from her torso to sneak out two cans of soda from a mini fridge tucked next to the couch, and smiled as she took one.
“This is a start. Baby steps.” The wolf thought to herself. She sipped on her soda as they swapped episodes, figuring this was a good time to check in on her favorite lemur again. “...How’re you doing?”
“... live… I’ll live...” the Lemur mumbled. This brought a small smile to Whisper's face at least as she set the baseball episode up.
“That's better. Need to talk?” She asked quietly, before adding. “... Maybe water?” She watched the Lemur quietly sip on her soda, before Tangle shook her head.
“...’ll be okay… thanks Whispy…” she mumbled as she tightened her tail around Whisper's midsection once more. Whisper nodded, and leaned back ever so slightly, getting cozy as she started the episode. One more episode… and then, her secret weapon.
As the two got cozy together on the couch, Tangle eventually spoke up again, midway through the episode.
“...She really doesn't know what it was like… she sits in her dull, boring office all day… looking down on everyone… looking down on me…” the words were quiet, but very audible to the wolf sitting in front of her. Whisper nodded, shifting to get Tangle more to her side.
“Even if she didn't know… she doesn't have any right to be angry. If you hadn't shoved us into that capsule… we wouldn't be here. Saved us. Even if… it was scary for you.” Whisper noted, leaning closely against Tangle. “...You made a tough choice. We survived. She doesn't get that. Her problem. Not yours.” She pressed her nose against Tangle's cheek. “... you're amazing. She doesn’t decide that.”
Tangle was rather quiet after that. The Lemur sat in silence, snuggled up against Whisper. She didn't make any sounds of distress, and instead seemed to just be lost in thought. Whisper glanced towards the kitchen… it was almost time. Almost time for the finishing blow.
“... Tangle. Can you wait here please? Be just a moment.” The wolf asked politely. After a moment, Tangle gently began to unfurl, but kept her tail looped around Whisper's waist like a belt. The wolf smirked slightly. “...Not going too far. But if it helps…” Whisper then got up, stretching as she headed back to the kitchen. She glanced back at the Lemur, who was now curled up on the sofa, looking rather small, and flashed her a smile before she fully disappeared into the kitchen.
As Whisper pulled the strawberry pound cake out of the oven, the smell filled the small room instantly. It was overwhelming… and delicious smelling. She couldn't help but grin as she began up get everything set up properly. Cutting a slice for herself and Tangle each… it seemed to be slightly burnt on the bottom, but not enough to ruin the cake. It would just make her perfecting it for their first date later all the sweeter
As she carried the plates into the room, she looked to see Tangle still curled up, but now staring at her with a feral intensity and slight amazement in her eyes. If this was a rabid creature in the wilds, Whisper would already be dead.
“...Wanted to save this for first date. But… making you happy.... More important.” She flashed the Lemur a smile, her squinted eyes looking relaxed. “...Homemade Strawberry Pound Cake. Probably not as good as Amy's… but… made with…” the wolf looked away a little, a bit flustered.
“....Love?” Tangle asked, her lips curling up into a proper, if slightly exhausted smile. Whisper's tail began to wag, the wolf nodding with a small “mm-hmm” of agreement.
Tangle finally uncurled, and took her plate with a smile as she scooted over to make room for Whisper next to her. The wolf took a seat, and the two leaned against each other.
“...be… be honest. When you try it. Can take it.” The wolf asked as she watched Tangle pick up her fork, and stab into the slice. She watched as the Lemur's hand brought the piece to her mouth, her heart pounding. “Tangle's looking so much better than she earlier…. What if… what if I messed up the cake and this makes it worse?” The wolf thought to herself.
Tangle then took the bite, and froze up, her eyes wide. This was it. The moment. Whisper braced herself for the worst…
Tangle then proceeded to start shoveling cake into her mouth like a feral beast, her eyes bright and wide, like she had just seen something incredible. She snarfed down the food so fast, it was like it had never existed. She looked up to the wolf, licking her lips.
“... Whisp… that was… the best pound cake I've ever had, oh my gosh!!” She grinned wider, practically beaming as she wrapped her arms around Whisper, the wolf needing to fight to keep her own plate upright and her eyes wide as the Lemur began to eagerly pepper the wolf's cheeks with kisses. Whisper was basically stun-locked. The wolf could barely function as Tangle kept talking, “You're the best, you big Strawberry!!”
The wolf blinked, her tail wagging fast as she tried to recover from Tangle's onslaught. She smiled shyly, looking at the now far more upbeat Lemur. “...S-strawberry?” She asked, tilting her head.
“Yeah. Because you're really sweet and you brighten my day!” The Lemur grinned, and giggled as she nuzzles noses with Whisper. The wolf simply chuckled, her cheeks bright.
“... Thank you, Pound Cake.” When Tangle tilted her head, mirroring the wolf earlier, Whisper just smirked before continuing, “... because. Soft. Fluffy. Makes me wanna get out of bed in the morning.” She leaned in, planting a kiss on the lemur's lips, causing the cute girl to squeak in surprise, but she giggled and grinned. Tangle then gesture towards Whisper's own plate.
“...Well Whispy… wanna try your own cooking? You deserve a reward for how much you've worked your butt off to cheer me up!” She grinned, and grabbed Whisper's fork, spearing a chunk of cake on it and lifting it up. “C'mon, Strawberry! Here comes the airplane!”
Whisper sighed, a content smile on her face. This was exactly what she wanted. She opened her mouth to receive the bite, watching as Tangle eagerly fed it in.
It was perfect. Not just the taste, but…
Everything. Was perfect.