Blue didn't answer Eivind's question, not at first. It had taken him by surprise and he wasn't sure what to say in response. Truthfully, Blue had convinced himself he would never see his family again a long time ago, back when he was under Lofgren's thumb. Then he had considered the possibility that he might see them again when Eivind had taken him home, but the desire to leave had waned quickly once he realized that he was still surrounded by unfamiliar werewolves and probably wouldn't get far even if he did try to escape. Then Sieger had demanded that Blue never leave the settlement, and once again Blue had accepted his fate, knowing that he would never be able to hear Little Bird sing again, or see the way Chrysanthemum tossed her head when she was happy, her long brown hair fanning out behind her like fan. But Eivind had taken him away then, too, and now they were moving through the woods together, not beholden to any rules other than their own. "I guess I just assumed," Blue said softly, though he saw now how it was silly for him to have thought going home was impossible. If he asked, certainly Eivind would take him there, wouldn't he?<br/><br/>Thankfully, Blue's thoughts were interrupted by Eivind, and Blue shut his mouth, listening attentively as Eivind spoke about his father. When he had finished, Blue smiled sadly, burying his face into Eivind's shoulder as the wolf gently stroked his clothed back. Feeling the pressure of Eivind's fingers against his body made him want to strip. "Your dad sounds like my dad," Blue said quietly, inhaling but not allowing himself to be affected by the stench. At least for now. Eivind really needed a bath, though.<br/><br/>"Not a bad man. But hard and demanding. High expectations and uncompromising when those expectations aren't meant. It took a lot for my mother to convince him to let me go to art school. He thought it was a waste of time, but Mom wanted me to 'exercise my God-given talent,' as she would say. I don't know. It seems he was right. It's not like I'm ever going to graduate." The boy shifted against Eivind and looked up at him, watching his lips as they moved smoothly around his words, and he began to think on just how lovely Eivind's lips tasted when he was clean and not covered in moose blood.<br/><br/>"She must have been beautiful to pop you out," Blue said absentmindedly, but he blushed furiously when he'd realized what he said. "I'm sorry you don't remember much about her. Your stories make it sound as if the life expectancy of a wolf isn't very high." He turned down his eyes for a moment, studying the dark stains on Eivind's skin. That moose truly could have killed both of them. "If I'm going to be your mate, I want it to be for a long time," Blue said, his eyes still turned downward, not wanting to see the look on Eivind's face as his words came clumsily spilling from his lips. "I don't want to fall in love with you and then find out you've been killed by a stupid fucking moose." Something about Eivind's story had affected Blue, but he couldn't pinpoint what detail had dug its way under his skin. Perhaps the fact that Eivind's mother had been a wanderer, like her son. Maybe it was the fact that Eivind's father seemed to love her more than she loved him, but he didn't do anything about it. Maybe the circumstances of his mother's death affected the way Eivind treated him now, the way he held Blue close and worried for him, or maybe it had something to do with how Eivind hadn't found his mate until he was much older than other wolves. Blue didn't know, and for once he didn't feel like asking. He doubted Eivind would know the reasoning for his dedication even if he did ask. Blue was his mate, and he was supposed to take care of him. Perhaps things really were just that simple, and not every situation needed a complex personal history to define it.<br/><br/>Eivind had turned the conversation back to him, and Blue found himself reluctant to speak too much on the topic. But Eivind had shared so much with him, it only seemed fair that he reciprocate, no matter how pathetic the whole awful situation truly was. "My dad was strict growing up. He would spank us if we didn't behave, but it was never excessive. No belts or wooden spoons or anything like that. When I told my parents I was gay, they said it was unacceptable, and that I shouldn't choose to live such a hedonistic lifestyle, that I was simply doing what I always did and ignoring my responsibilities to the family. I told them I didn't understand how impregnating women was fulfilling my responsibilities to the family, and my father started yelling at me. I don't even really recall what he was saying anymore, but I yelled back, and he smacked me across the face. It hurt. A lot. Practically tore my jaw off." He chuckled softly, running his fingers slowly down Eivind's chest. "I would have jumped on him if it weren't for my little sister, Birdie. My sisters are amazing. I don't know how my parents managed to get two out of three right, but they did. Or maybe Birdie and Chrys are just great despite all of my parents' garbage, I don't know."<br/><br/>Eivind's next question was one that forced Blue to pause and think hard, his brows knitting together and his jaw tight as he considered his answer. "Birdie and Chrys would be ecstatic," he said finally, smiling gently as he brought his silver eyes back up to Eivind's face. "They'd probably think you were really hot. And they wouldn't be wrong. Mom and Dad . . . I don't know. A part of me wants to believe that my whole disappearance would put things in perspective for them. Better to have a gay son than no son at all. But I can't imagine they'd be super excited if I came home with you. It doesn't really help that you're like a decade older than me, either. I think it's really sexy, but my parents would probably think you're just some weird hairy guy who's sticking it to their little boy."<br/><br/>Blue laughed lightly to himself, his gentle voice ringing in the quiet forest air. "Speaking of meat, excuse me." He slithered out from Eivind's lazy arm and slid back to wear the skillet was waiting, grabbing the handle and pulling it to where Eivind lay. He set the skillet down and picked up a piece of meat, holding it up close to the wolf's lips. "Eat. I'm not really that hungry, to be honest. But I want you to eat. And when you're finished, we can find somewhere to bathe you. I'm sure you're tired, but I can't cuddle up to you all night with you covered in guts."