Elf & Leopard Truce

As Eva pushed Lucas' head onto her lap so he could rest, Red's position of monopolizing her lap was cut in half.

Eva rubbed his ears after he mewled in protest to help settle him. Calmed by the affection, he put a paw on Lucas' head then used it as a resting place.

A deep purr escaped his throat as Eva petted the rough fur on the top of his head.

Eva felt like her heart was full while looking down at the two in her lap. She wanted this moment to last forever.

Lucas never complained about anything, so seeing him fight to hold back the exhaustion he was clearly feeling told her how much he was really suffering.

"I wish you would just be honest about how much you are suffering."

Even sharing a little bit about the pain would at least unburden him a little. Or maybe he thought she was too weak to handle even that much?

'No, I don't need to keep thinking about how weak I am. The only thing I can do is get stronger one step at a time.'