Morning, what you could consider it here anyways, rose with a stillness. Everyone seemed to decide to sleep in, with the exception of the one person who couldn't sleep at all. Chris managed a few hours in but eventually gave up after waking back up ten times. He journeyed downstairs to make himself some breakfast quietly.

Today seemed... Different, he thought. The placidity of the cabin had always existed, but today it seemed somewhat numbing. Each slow, methodical tick of the clock pressed his subconscious. Chris sat at one of the tables, his elbows on the surface as he drank his morning coffee. Every small sound, from his clothes rustling when he moved, to the ceramic of his mug clinking as it met the wooden table surface. He watched the steam of his coffee dance around, wondering how he ever let it get this far.

Kuza may have managed to sleep through the night but he certainly wasn't going to stay in bed like everyone else. He hadn't taken notice to the silence, however. Everyone else was sleeping in and he'd failed to notice. It came as a shock to him when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Normally, this time of morning, everyone's up and about. The palpable tension placed weight on his shoulders to realize he was alone with Chris once more.

Hesitantly, he took a step off the last stair, "Where's everyone else?"

"Still sleeping." Chris replied dully, "It's just, uh, you and I right now." He paused a full moment, looking anywhere but his red eyes. "There's, um, there's coffee in the kettle."

"Thank you." Kuza slowly walked over to the back of the bar. He pulled a cup from the cabinet, setting it on the counter beside the still hot kettle. It'd only come off the fire about ten minutes prior.

"How'd you sleep?" Chris asked. He was trying to make small talk, hoping it would lead into something other than a furry filled conversation.

"Good, I guess." Kuza responded as he poured himself coffee. He set the kettle back down on the counter, sighing to himself. For Devin's sake, he knew he had to make an effort to get along with him. "I feel like I get phantom sleep anymore. Like, I sleep, but I don't feel like I actually slept. I don't know how to explain it, and I probably just sound like a crazy person saying that."

"No, I get it. I have the same problem. Ricky tells me it'll go away if I get bound." He said. Chris glanced over his shoulder to catch a look at him. He couldn't help but notice how stiff Kuza moved. His sharpness he had when he came here only a week ago had faded fast. "You don't look like you're moving to good."

"You're one to talk." Kuza replied. He sat down slowly, feeling as if his bones were becoming heavier. A painful sigh left his mouth. "I see the way you have to hold onto things when you walk. Last night, when you came downstairs, you were holding onto the rail for dear life."

"My time's running short faster than I thought, and it's making me uneasy." He set his hand down on the table, curling his fingers in. The veins seemed distressed before he even got halfway to a fist. "My joints are getting so stiff. I feel like I'm an old man."

"I'm starting to get that way too." Kuza lifted his cup up to his lips.

His hands had developed a tremor that was trying his hardest to hide. Chris noticed it quickly though. Without thinking, he grabbed Kuza's wrist to help him stabilize it. A gasp drew into the crimson eyed creature's mouth. The second their skin made contact, it was like someone set him on fire. It wasn't a painful burn, though. If actually being set on fire felt that way, he'd probably throw himself into the flames.

Chris held on for a moment longer than he should've. He regretfully let go, feeling energy drain out of him the second he did. "I'm sorry." He murmured.

"It's alright." He slowly responded, "Thank you... We can't keep delaying the inevitable."

"I know." He muttered, staring off into space. Chris pressed his fingers to his temple as he set down his mug. He very quietly groaned to himself in response to the stress mounting up. Taking in a revitalizing deep breath, he said, "I am sorry for all the idiotic things I've done and said to you since you arrived here. I'm... not sure if we'd ever reach a point of loving each other, but," He set his hand on top of Kuza's, "I'm sure we can learn to live with one another."

He bowed his head, murmuring, "We have no choice."

Chris was a man of patience. He could sit and talk this out for hours, but the clock's tick reminded him he didn't have that luxury. He'd taken plenty of bold moves in his life already. At this point, he figured what's one more? Kuza's anger, one that mirrored his own, had seemed to become lost in his sea of sorrow. Chris was confident that he wouldn't reject any advances this time.

Cautiously, he reached his hand up to the side of Kuza's face. Beneath his long black hair, he kept his sights down. The overwhelming sensation of their skin to skin contact was enough to take all his attention. If he looked into Chris' eyes, he worried he wouldn't be able to control himself. His body's desires were beginning to override his own mind and he'd become very aware of that.

Chris leaned in closer, pausing for a moment. As he heard how shortened Kuza's breaths had gotten, he closed his eyes and turns his head away. The strain of emotions was like a rubber band ready to snap. After swallowing down his fear with a big gulp, Chris continued. Kuza felt his breaths along his skin but didn't dare to look up. Chris placed his pointer finger underneath his chin, guiding him to raise his head. His lips gently pressed against Kuza's, sending waves of energy through both of them.

The tension finally snapped. Neither could deny their screaming desires anymore. Every inch of their skin was inflamed with hunger. Kuza melted into their kiss, bringing his hands along his partner's face and neck. Everything else from the prior days and nights was gone in their minds. They'd allowed themselves to feel the power of binding and it was fast to consume them.

Kuza stood from his seat, still pulling kisses off of Chris' lips as he did so. He climbed into his lap to continue their intense make out session. Chris wrapped his arms around his hips, his hands holding onto his ass. His partner's hands rested on his shoulders. Their kiss was aggressive and thirsty. Chris bit his bottom lip to sneak his tongue into his mouth. The second he did, Kuza involuntarily let out a moan.

Anything else around them had been completely blocked out. Their focus was solely on each other. Making it so neither of them even heard the basement door creak open. The second Ricky set sights on that scene, he muttered an "Oh, fuck, sorry" and started to back up down the stairs again. Finally hearing a voice broke them both out of it. Their chests rose rapidly while they caught their breath.

Kuza scurried off of his lap, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "N-No," He shamefully mumbled, "We're sorry. We, um, I-" He began to pace over to the stairs, muttering something inaudible before taking off towards his room.

Chris placed his hand over his mouth. He swallowed down the last taste of his bloody friend, feeling like his body had just been through a hurricane. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He murmured.

"Sorry?" Ricky asked as if he was crazy, "Chris, this is fantastic! You two are getting along! You can finally have a mate, and I don't have to worry about losing you."

"It's not that simply, Rick. I... I don't know." Chris looked up at him and his eyes went wide to see that of his companion's, "Oh my God, your eyes!"

"What?!" He questioned as he turned towards the mirror on the wall. At first, it was shock to him to see one of his baby blue's gone, but a smile quickly formed on his face. His cheeks lit up with happiness. Ricky squeaked a little to himself, unable to comprehend words.

Chris pushed himself away from the table. He felt a creak in his bones as he stood up, but tried to ignore it. His best friend's happiness was more important right now. He set his hands on Ricky's shoulders, looking into the mirror with him. "You two deserved this. I've never met another couple that loved each other as much as you two do."

"You never know," He replied optimistically, "You and Kuza might learn to love each other enough someday."

He drying chuckled, "Yeah, right. You and Ryan were head over heals in love with each other from the second you met. You've been nearly inseparable since and either of you would kill someone if they hurt the other one. That's true love." He looked back up in the mirror, "What Kuza and I have... Is tolerance."

Ricky set his hand over Chris', "Love is tolerance."