1000+ words.
#####The only time he had been in the house had been the day she had given birth, and as expected, it had not been a day that he had much time to study the interior of the house. Now that he was given the chance, Vigilante took it in silently, following his friend away from her children so that they might speak more freely. This house seemed much more lived in than his own did, but he supposed that was only to be expected, as he lived alone (with the exception of the stallion, who lived outside, of course). It seemed comfortable enough, but the obvious sarcasm that stressed her tone could only lead him to believe that life was not particularly wonderful here. For that, he did feel badly, as he did not wish her to have to deal with an uncomfortable and unhappy way of living.
#####"I have never had tea," he answered honestly, not even sure if he had ever heard the term before, "but I am sure that I will enjoy it if you fix it." Vigilante was unfamiliar with human food and drink, disregarding alcohol, but he trusted Ayita's judgement. Jade eyes followed her movements with interest as he watched her move about the house, preparing to make dinner in a way he had never actually seen or participated in. Like many, he had only eaten in the way that most wolves and dogs ate, the natural way. He had never known anyone to prepare their food as intricately as she seemed to, but again, he trusted her in this. Since his arrival in the pack, his life had become much more humanized than he had ever imagined happening, and he still found it strange.
#####He was glad to hear that they had come to a conclusion of some sort, even if it obviously was not the one that she had envisioned, as evidenced by the way her voice changed. For all that it was worth, he was glad that they could not force something like that, regardless of how much they had wanted a normal family for their children. Vigilante could easily understand that desire; had he not come to this pack for that very same desire? It seemed as though he might be getting very close to that wish, although he was no longer concerned with having a completely normal life. He had realized that it would not be possible, and that there would never be a clear cut definition of "normal." He would simply have to try.
#####"Will you be taking Amaranth and Kable to wherever it is that you go?" he asked gently, unsure of whether or not she had discussed it that far with Leroy, as well as questioning where she planned to go. As much as he wanted his dear friend to get out of the bad situation she had found herself in, Vigilante did not wish to see her separated from her children. His own sister had raised her children without a mate or their father around, and he knew it would be easy for Ayita to raise them. Just as he had expected, she was already a wonderful mother. However, for her to be taken away from them was not, in his opinion, an option. For pups to be without their mother was terrible. Without their father as a constant presence in their lives, however, they would survive.
#####Again, the subject of his past was broached, and he was not feeling comfortable with the idea of telling her everything yet. Regardless of whatever had happened between her and Leroy, and regardless of any potential role he played in that situation, his feelings for her were still alive and burning. He did not want to ruin that with the things he had done--not yet, anyway. Someday, he would have to tell her. It was not something he could keep hidden forever out of fear of her reaction, but it was not something he was ready to discuss with her yet. However, her past was much more intriguing than his own for him. Vigilante had lived his life, and the tale was something imprinted in his brain. Ayita's story was something he found interesting. It was something he wanted to know.
#####Lifting the cup of tea, Vigilante sniffed it gingerly, the scent something he had never been introduced to before. He took a sip, rolling the liquid over his tongue curiously before swallowing. Studying her over the rim of the cup, Vigilante smiled at her, the smile tired and almost old, despite his relatively young age. "I promise you," he began quietly, as if he was afraid of her reaction to the mere words alone, "I will tell you my story at some point in time. But Ayita, you need to know. . . I am not as good a guy as you seem to believe." The warning was cryptic, and he did not have any delusions about whether or not she would heed his warning. Ayita was obviously curious about him, and soon enough, she would not accept "soon" as an answer. However, he did not believe that she would take his warning very seriously. How could she, without any background information?
#####She had not begun to eat yet, and as a result, Vigilante waited for her to begin. It was his chivalrous nature that left him without the urge to begin without her, and it was also that which drove him to ask further questions of her. He wanted to understand her more, and to know what made her the person that she was. Setting the cup on the table in front of him, Vigilante looked at her intently, his attention solely on the woman before him as he spoke. "Please tell me about yourself, Ayita. I want to know your story. I want to know what makes you such a beautiful, intelligent, and kind woman." She had piqued his interest, and now there was no reason for her not to share her story, especially as she had been the one to bring it up into the conversation.