Blue sat quietly while Eivind collected fuel and kindling for the fire, separating the dry bits he could find and setting aside the wet pieces so they could dry off and be used for later. After only a few minutes of this, however, Blue found himself feeling antsy. He got up and grabbed the dry things Eivind had found and began constructing a workable fire in the pit as Eivind continued to sort out everything he collected. Within a few minutes, Blue had gotten a rather impressive fire burning using the leftovers from Sig's and the new fuel, plus the matches in Eivind's pack. Blue was relieved that he was the one who had dropped his sack and not Eivind, otherwise they would have gone without a fire that night.<br/><br/>"Even if I wasn't hungry, I highly doubt you would let me go without, would you?" Blue said, smiling over his shoulder as he stood up from the flames and walked toward Eivind, his eyes raking over the wolf's wet body. "Look what you've done to yourself. You're a mess. I can't take you anywhere, can I?" In truth, Blue<i>wasn't</i>very hungry, but he wasn't about to invite another lecture from Eivind. Now that they weren't traveling anymore, perhaps the wolf would ease up on him a bit, but eating to keep Eivind happy wasn't a difficult task, so he figured he might as well just get on with it. The moose did taste better now than it had when he had initially cooked it, so perhaps that was a bit of silver lining for Blue to grasp onto.<br/><br/>Blue took a long drink from the water container, letting the cool water wash down his throat and gasping when he finally pulled it away, feeling refreshed. "I hope Sig is okay too. I really like him." He paused for a moment, setting the container down and looking to Eivind with a grin on his face. "You did a good job with him. After the whole beating him to a pulp thing. I think he likes you." Blue laughed and shook his head at Eivind's comment, agreeing wholeheartedly. "You're probably right. We're here sitting like idiots worried about him, but I'm sure he's already found someone to cozy up to for the night. The guy is quite the smooth talker."<br/><br/>The fire crackled pleasantly and Blue was pleased when Eivind came to sit beside him and handed him some strips of jerky. "Go hunting tomorrow. Whenever it stops raining. Tonight, we relax. I don't want you to have to worry about filling my stomach. What we have left is fine for now." The wolf teased him, but Blue didn't mind so much, and he gladly tucked himself into his side when Eivind silently motioned for him to do so. "Oh, yes, my friend," Blue said, feigning bitterness. "Well, if you happen to see another<i>friend</i>of mine wandering around, stay away from it. You might be shocked to learn this, but moose aren't particularly friendly."<br/><br/>Blue swallowed a bite, silently considering Eivind's words. They had spent every second of the last few days together, hiking through the wilderness, fighting with storms, exhaustion, wild animals, and rivers. But aside from a few deep conversations, the two hadn't really spent quality time together. They had been too focused on surviving. Well, for the most part. There was that moment Blue depended a little too much on his pills, but that certainly hadn't ended well and he had no desire to repeat that mistake. This was the first time they had sat together,<i>really</i>sat, unburdened by thoughts that anyone or anything could be lurking around the next tree trunk, ready to strike. They were safe here. As safe as they could be, anyway, and Blue found himself melting into the wolf's body, looking up at him fondly as he spoke.<br/><br/>"I'm glad you stood up to him, too," Blue said softly, dropping the rest of his jerky on the ground and shifting his body, pressing it hard into Eivind's. "You've fought for me since the beginning. Even before you knew my name, you fought for me tooth and nail every fucking step of the way. I could have been the absolute worst mate, and I'm sure sometimes I was, but you didn't care. You've protected me this entire time. You stood up to your alpha for me and defied him. You killed Alden . . . " He stopped. He was staring at Eivind now, lips parted, hands on the wolf's flat stomach. It was terrifying, the knowledge that Eivind would kill for him. It shouldn't have been attractive, or romantic, or sweet. Eivind was dangerous. He was violent and wild, but only with purpose, and he was<i>his</i>. Blue couldn't verbalize the rush he felt in that moment as he looked into Eivind's eyes, seeing the spark of light glow deep in the wolf's glassy pupils, but it was powerful and overwhelming, and he wanted it. All for himself.<br/><br/>"I don't know why you did all those things for me," Blue said softly, his body tensing as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Eivind's mouth, breathing heavily through his nostrils. Blue parted his lips again, but instead of politely probing Eivind for access, Blue demanded it, pushing his tongue hard inside of the wolf's mouth and catching his tongue, moaning against Eivind's lips. Perhaps it was finally being alone without any threats, or maybe Blue was allowing himself to be swept away by some fantasy he had created inside of his head, or maybe he was simply doing what mates were supposed to do. He didn't know. He didn't care. In that moment, Eivind was everything, and all he wanted to do was be close to him, as close as he possibly could.