Castiel seemed to negate Tiresias‘s words, saying that it was not one of them who had help the other, but rather that they had helped one another. Castiel seem to view their… Current situation as a two-way street, where they each benefited from the other‘s company. Tiresias was glad to hear it - he had no desire to be a burden upon Castiel. He smiled briefly, before laying his head back down. For a few moments they stayed like that, until suddenly Castiel wriggled his way closer to Tiresias so that they were pressed against one another. Seemingly swiftly after that, Castile had coughed and moved away swiftly… But had there not been a sound before the cough? A purr perhaps? Perhaps he was enjoying the sunlight as much as Tiresias was. For Tiresias was so glad that the warmth of the summer had returned at long last - how he hated the dreaded winter. It was cold and dark and dreary, and nothing that he ever wished to deal with. But it was as Castiel had said - they had survived it together, and so they could now openly enjoy the warmth of spring… And soon after that would be summer. Tiresias have been marking the days by watching the progression of the reeds by the river. Each day, he had explored further and further up the river, and as winter had faded and spring had blossomed, the reeds had undergone a metamorphosis from dry, wispy strands to thick, strong, healthy reeds. Some of them boasted flowers, while others grew fat cat tails. But each of them developed and grew. Yes, the sun was warm and beautiful and comfortable… But why did he suddenly feel a rush of cold?

Tiresias rolled to his sternum and peered to his side where only a moment before, Castiel had been laying. In the absence of his body against Tiresias‘s, there was a noted lack of warm. It was more than just the lack of body warm, it felt as if something was missing. Tiresias shook his head and shrugged his shoulders again, hoping to dispel the feeling. It had been odd, and unwanted. At any rate, it was no longer winter, and so there was really no need for them to sleep so close anymore, was there? But then again, Castiel also had become like family to him. And families often shared dens… It wasn’t like they were mates or anything, but was it really all that odd for them to share a den? Tiresias tried to ignore his mind, pushing the thoughts from his head. He was not gay, he could not be. And he was quite sure that Castiel was not either, and so the thoughts in his mind were null and void. For the first time in a long time, there was a moment of awkwardness between them, when they both went still. Tiresias tilted his head, trying to list for any tells that would give him a clue as to what Castiel was thinking, and he did not have to wait long. Soon Castiel changed the subject and suggested that they go exploring today. Tiresias smiled - it was the first time that Castiel had suggested such a thing. Normally, Tiresias would explore by himself, while Castiel would stick to the shore and stay to the den. Tiresias found himself nodding and getting to his feet, but he nearly lost his balance when he felt the pressure of Castiel’s flesh against his yet again, but this time it was the start of the game.

‘Tag! You’re it, Tiresias!’

The kalak prince paused, unsure what he was supposed to do. He had not really grown up with many games, only a lot of schooling and lessons. Their life had been a solemn one, with affection only expressed when no non-family members were around. Even then, their parents had been trying to prepare them for who and what may be coming for them.

‘Catch me if you can!’

It was good indeed that Tiresias had added on those words, elsewise he would have not known what do. He had never before played this game of so called ‘Tag’, but it seemed it was a chasing game, and the goal was to… Perhaps catch Castiel and touch him as Castiel had touched him? It seemed to make sense. A soft smile grew on his lips and he nodded, agreeing to the game before leaping out of the cavern’s mouth himself. Tiresias did not move like most other wolves - when he ran, instead of an all out sprawl, he was a graceful and elegant gazelle. The reason being, was that it allowed him to move quieter across the sand and grass, any terrain really, and that allowed him to listen more to his surroundings. Once he was past the mouth of the cavern, the echoing of his footsteps fell behind him, and he darted after Castiel, following the sound of parting sand. Castiel was not far ahead of him, for the prince had hesitated to turn around to see if Tiresias was chasing after him. But as Castiel ran off, Tiresias could feel the brushing of sand moving across the top of his legs, the little bit thrown at him from Castiel‘s retreat. Tiresias danced to the side a bit, so that he would not be directly behind Castiel. And tilted his head ever so slightly so that he would be able to catch up on Castiel’s change of direction quicker. For a while, they were at a standstill, as they wove across the sand. But Tiresias was built for speed, with long limbs and a streamlined body, so it was only a matter of time before he would be able to catch up to him. And so, whether it was due to his body physics, due to his endurance, or perhaps because Castiel slowed down to allow him to get closer, Tiresias could tell that he was finally closing in. He gathered his muscles underneath him, sure of his position, and leapt, hoping to tackle Castiel where he stood.