My beloveds.
Both boys smiled at her with the same happy, soft smile worn across their lips. They loved to hear her say it, to speak aloud what they were feeling too. This was so much more intense than their last meeting had been. It was said that absence made the heart grow fonder and that couldn’t be more true of first love; for no matter who and how many others both boys found their hearts falling for, Chati would always be their first. To know she was feeling the same way for them both and wasn’t shying away or uncomfortable made their excitement grow.
They flicked their ears forward as she spoke of her plethora of treasures, then concluded by asking for a run. They had butterflies too, and energy pulsing in their veins making them want to sway on their hooves and prance in place. To find a way to expel this energy would be amazing; to chase in her wake would be exhilarating.
There was no time to verbally answer her as Chati spun on her heels and took off; a light tapping of the soft Atlantis sand scattered against and around them behind her. Castillon laughed first, then Nephilim’s deep, hearty chuckle followed. With a toss of his head Castillon pushed himself off his haunches, stretching out his gait and launching himself into a run. Nephilim followed suit quickly, just half a pace off of Castillon’s own run and, digging harder into the sand, caught up just as fast. Both boys shared a quick look and a grin, then paid attention to the lovely dark girl racing ahead of them.
She had been absolutely right that a run was the best thing for them. The turquoise waters were a beautiful blur to their right, the vivid greens of the jungle to their left. Beneath them stretched the white-gold sands; softer than any beach they’d run across. Even the sun shone freely down on them, making them both glow where it touched their gold, the black points revealed they weren’t entirely black, but a very, very dark brown with highlights of red, and they shone bright where it highlighted the white spots that broke up their coats; for Castillon, a solid blanket over his hind and a blaze running down his face; for Nephilim, large patches of white that reached up over his back, down his legs, and across his face.
Without a word shared, both boys pushed more energy into their run. They ate up the strides, sending sand flying out behind them and their hair snapping in the wind. Together they closed the distance on Chati, still partially involved in the chase, but loving the act of the three of them running so freely down the shoreline together. Nearer to her they could see her more clearly, see the way the Atlantis sun made her dark points darker, her soft gray even lighter, and the white spackled up her body bright like theirs was.
While Nephilim went to run up alongside her (if he was able to match her speed well enough for it), it was Castillon who couldn’t help himself and stretched his neck out toward her, whiskered lips making to brush quickly at her skin. He wouldn’t nip her; wouldn’t pinch her, but he couldn’t deny the desire to touch her when he was this close to her, and the challenge of trying to do so while they were running made it all the more fun to try.
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