//------------------------------//
// Softly 
// Story: Softly 
// by Closer-To-The-Sun 
//------------------------------//

Gallus opened his eyes. He was greeted by his darkened dorm. It was mostly dark, save a fair amount of light trickling in from the window and a few small lights within the room itself. It was all just enough for him to be able to make out figures in the dark, including the furniture, where the posters would be on the wall, and the creature lying next to him.

Turning his head, the griffon looked at the blue changeling. Without a word, she opened her eyes to return eye contact. A soft smile grew on her face, which was returned.

“Hey there, Ocellus,” Gallus’ words were very hushed.

“And a good morning to you too,” she replied, matching his tone.

“How did you sleep?”

“Great as always, even if you did wake me,” Ocellus added playfully.

The griffon repositioned his body so that he was lying on his side, allowing him to face Ocellus. “How is that my fault? I just woke up myself.”

The changeling stuck her tongue out for a brief moment with a small grin, “Well, I’m still going to blame you.”

A small smirk appeared on Gallus’ face, “Hey, I don’t have to let you sleep in my bed. Do you really want to mess with your changeling biology like that?”

“You’d miss me,” Ocellus said, calling his bluff.

There was a small pause before Gallus admitted, “You got me there.”

A giggle escaped from Ocellus as she moved herself closer to Gallus, wrapping her limbs around the griffon and resting her head on his chest where the fur and feathers met. This caught the griffon off guard for a moment, but he returned by wrapping his own limbs around Ocellus in return. A minute or two passed as the two held one another in stillness, save the sound of their gentle breathing and the occasional early bird from outside the window.

Ocellus broke the air of silence, “I wish I could be here every night.” Her voice sounded crestfallen with a hint of longing.

“I do too,” Gallus said, tightening his hold on the changeling just a little bit. “At least Sandbar leaves on the weekend so we can have the dorm to ourselves.”

There was a nod from Ocellus, that Gallus could feel against his body.

A thought came to Gallus’ mind that caused him to chuckle a little, “Or you can try to convince Yona for us to use your dorm.”

“I would rather not have to have a conversation with Yona about why my boyfriend is with me on the top bunk,” Ocellus smiled at the thought.

Gallus shrugged, “Fair enough. This seems to be the easiest way to go about things.”

“Sometimes the easiest way is the best way. Besides, I do like how our system is.”

“Why?”

Moving her head to look upwards at Gallus, Ocellus answered, “Because it’s just us, and I get to have you all to myself.” While the color might not have been visible in the darkened room, Ocellus’ face was burning enough to be felt

The changeling’s words caught Gallus off guard. He also blushed fiercely at her statement. Ocellus took advantage of the moment to snuggle closer to Gallus, allowing herself to feel his warmth. A soft smile appeared on her face as she did so.

Despite the dark of the dorm, Gallus could see the small smile on Ocellus’ face. One grew on his face as well, “Warm enough?”

“Yes, thank you,” Ocellus answered.

“Good,” Gallus said, “I know that’s a big thing for you changelings when you sleep.”

Ocellus nodded, “Mhm! It’s just one of the reasons why I like sharing a bed with you.” There was a small pause before she added a little tease, “Just like how I know you like holding me.”

Again, Gallus blushed, “I really regret how you are starting to take after some of my behaviors. You seem so insistent to make things weird, aren’t ya?” Gallus asked, still trying to shake off the color in his cheeks.

“What can I say, it makes feeding that much easier.”

“Wait, you’re feeding right now?”

Ocellus nodded

“On what?”

“Our love.”

Gallus paused for a moment as he processed what Ocellus said. He then pulled the blanket off of himself and Ocellus, “That’s it, I think I need some water. You want any?”

Even though Ocellus did all she could to not let the griffon leave the bed, she was forced to let go as he got up. “Yes please,” she answered from the bed.

In the darkness, Gallus maneuvered through the dorm to the sink. There was enough light for him to see where he was going, but he knew his room well enough that it wasn’t needed. Once there, he filled a cup with water and took a few drinks from it. He then filled another cup halfway and returned back to the changeling on the bed.

“Here you go,” Gallus said, offering the water.

Ocellus took the cup, “Thank you.” She drank the water and placed the cup on the nightstand next to the bed.

After she placed the cup down, Gallus noticed that Ocellus had repositioned herself in the center of the mattress. “Hey, scoot over so I can get back in.”

“No!” Ocellus playfully responded. She then wrapped up her body up in the blanket, hogging it all for herself.

“Come on, let me back in. It’s my own bed,” Gallus reminded her.

With a mischievous smile, Ocellus still refused, “You can’t make me!”

A sigh did escape from Gallus as he hatched an idea, “Alright, you win.” He climbed on to the bed, but instead went to the opposite end. He began to pat at the blanket and mattress with his talons and hindpaws. “I’ll just sleep here then.”

“You’re going to sleep at the foot of your own bed?” Ocellus asked as she sat up in the bed, still wrapped in the blanket.

“Looks like it, don’t it?” Gallus lowered his body and curled his body up into a ball, his head resting against his talons.

Ocellus began to feel a bit guilty, “Alright, you can get back under the covers with me.”

“Can’t hear you, I’m being a cat,” Gallus closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

A happy gasp escaped Ocellus, “Kitty!”

Unwrapping herself from the blanket and a freeing her limbs, the changeling stretched out one of her front limbs. One of them made contact with Gallus’ head. As she was petting him along his head and neck, a soft purring came from the griffon.

“Aww, who’s a good kitty?” she mused as she heard Gallus.

As if answering her question, Gallus opened his eyes and pounced toward Ocellus causing her to shirek in surprise. Both of them fell back onto the bed, almost into the same positions that they had woken up in moments ago. After their safe landing, Gallus laughed and turned to see Ocellus, who had a sour look on her face.

“You deceived me!” Ocellus pouted, “All of that just so you can get your bed back?”

“Of course! It’s my bed after all,” Gallus said.

“I offered to let you back in!” Ocellus reminded him.

Gallus blushed as he did admit something, “Well, I didn’t exactly hate being petted by you.”

A smile and a pink tint appeared on Ocellus’ face, “Good kitty.” She lightly patted Gallus on his head.

He quickly and quietly added a bit of a disclaimer, “Don’t you ever tell any other creature about that.”

Ocellus mimed zipping her mouth shut. “That will stay between us.”

“Good.”

Gallus motioned for Ocellus to move just a little bit to allow him to fix the blanket. After a bit of adjustments, both creatures were back underneath the blanket again, side by side. They were each facing one another.

“Can I ask you something, Gallus?” the changeling asked, wrapping her limbs around the griffon.

“What is it?” Gallus followed suit and held Ocellus.

“Do you think....we’re going to last?” Ocellus’ words were a little more hushed than she was previously.

The question caught Gallus by surprise. “What, are you sick of me already?”

A small laugh escaped from Ocellus as she explained herself, “It’s not that, it’s just a question that came to mind.”

Gallus was quiet as he mulled the question over. His silence didn’t help Ocellus’ thoughts.

“I’m sorry, it was a dumb question,” Ocellus burried her head into Gallus’ chest fluff to hide her embarrassment.

“Well, what do you think; do you think we’re going to last?” the griffon’s question was gentle and warm.

With her head still against Gallus’ body, Ocellus answered, “We’ve been together for a few months now and you’re my first boyfriend, so I don’t really know how to make things like this really last. I’m just....nervous....”

“And that’s totally fine,” Gallus said, “Not like any of us have the right answer of how to do things right.”

Ocellus moved her head back up to look at Gallus, “That’s true. But you still didn’t answer the question yourself.”

“To be honest, I don’t know,” he admitted as he closed his eyes. “I want us to, of course. But as I see it, we can only take things one day at a time. And that’s how I’m trying to take everything and do what I can.” Gallus paused for a moment before adding, “I’m sure I’ll hurt you sometimes, just as you’ll hurt me sometimes. But that’s the very condition of existence, isn't it? To embrace the warmth of spring means to accept the risks of harshness of winter. But I’m willing to risk it all for those I care about.”

Looking up at Gallus, the changeling smiled, “Thanks, Gallus.”

“For what?” Gallus replied, “If anything, you helped me with my grades, I should be thanking you.”

“I’m serious. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be a wallflower, too bashful to even speak up,” Ocellus explained, “But now I’m my own changeling, spending time with the griffon I love.”

A smirk appeared on Gallus’ face, “Dang, if it’s any of the griffons I know, I must apologize to you.”

“Gallus!” Ocellus laughed at his joke, using her limbs to shove herself away from the laughing griffon.

Eventually, the laughter between the two died down. The two creatures simply laid next to each other, enjoying each other’s company.

“What time is it?” Ocellus asked, breaking the stillness.

“I think it said a little after three-thirty,” Gallus recalled.

Ocellus lightly whined, “Hmm, I don’t want this night to end.”

Gallus was puzzled, “Huh?”

“I like spending time with you. It’s fun when it’s just the two of us like this,”

“In....In my bed?” Gallus wanted to make sure he understood.

Ocellus snorted and laughed a little, “Well, not just here, but yes, that too.”

The griffon also laughed a little, “I like spending time with you too, Ocellus. And yes, even here.”

A wicked smile appeared on Ocellus’ face, “You want to know one of my favorite reasons?”

“What’s that?”

Without a word, Ocellus closed the little distance between the two of them. With right hoof reaching and caressing the left side of the griffon’s face, she then opened her mouth and gently planted her mouth on Gallus’ right cheek. While that alone was enough to surprise the griffon, Ocellus then lightly bit down, just enough to make it apparent that her mouth was indeed open. She then moved away, back to her previous position.

“Were....you aiming for my cheek o-or did you miss my neck?” a flustered Gallus asked. He tried his best to keep his composure. “I-Is this a changeling thing I don’t know about?”

Ocellus didn’t speak. Instead, there was a bashful smile on her face and a deep burning in her cheeks.

Trying his best to shake the burning sensation on his face, Gallus joked, “I guess I don’t mind as long as you don’t try to draw blood.”

Without missing a beat, Ocellus replied, “I can always use my fangs on your neck.” Ocellus opened her mouth again, revealing a pair of sharp fangs on the roof of her mouth. “Don’t worry, I won’t use fangs on you. Unless you want me to.” Ocellus added a sly smile at the end of her sentence. While it was intended to be flirty, it didn’t help her that her own face was just as burning red as the griffon’s.

“You are way too energetic this morning.” Gallus couldn’t help but smile at his girlfriend, “I like seeing this side of you.”

“This side of me is only for you.”

The two creatures looked longingly at one another in the darkened room. There wasn’t much light, but it was more than enough for the two. Without a word, both of the creatures wrapped themselves in the other’s embrace. It gave them both what they loved; the warmth for Ocellus, the intimacy for Gallus, and the love for the other they both shared.

“You know, you’re going to have to get out of my bed when Sandbar shows up in the morning.”

“No,” Ocellus firmly objected as she tightened her grip, ”There’s no going back now. Choices have been made and I refuse to leave.”

Gallus smiled, “Perfect, ‘cause I’m not letting you go.”

END