was correcting himself. He didn't like how obvious that probably looked, even if Arthur hadn't said anything yet. The bond between them made it hard to ignore. It carried small things across without effort, and right now it was carrying attention.
Arthur was paying attention to him.
The husky's ears flicked back for a moment, then returned to normal.
He didn't look back.
He didn't need to.
The bond told him enough.
There was no suspicion in it. No pressure. Just that same steady awareness Arthur had shown during the fight. It wasn't sharp or intrusive. It just… stayed there, like he was trying to understand something without pushing for it.
The husky slowed again.
He didn't mean to.
He noticed it a second later and took a few quicker steps to even it out, but the distance between them had already shortened. Arthur was closer now.
Too close.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… noticeable.
The husky glanced back this time, quick, almost like a reflex.
Arthur met his eyes for half a second.
The husky looked away immediately.
His ears lowered slightly before he corrected them again.
That was—
He kept walking.
That was unnecessary.
The ground ahead was clear, at least for now. No movement under it, no tension in the air, nothing that felt like it was about to rise up again. He focused on that instead.
Safer.
Simpler.
Behind him, Arthur adjusted his pace to match.
The husky noticed that too.
Of course he did.
The bond made it impossible not to.
It wasn't just distance anymore. It was rhythm. Arthur wasn't trying to close the gap. He was just… staying with him.
That was new.
The husky's tail moved once, slower this time, not as sharp as before.
He didn't stop it immediately.
He let it move once more before stilling it.
That felt—
He didn't finish the thought.
Instead, he focused forward again, ears shifting slightly as he picked up on small sounds around them. Wind brushing past uneven ground. Something moving far off in the distance. Nothing close enough to matter.
He slowed again.
This time he stopped.
Not because he had to.
Because he wasn't sure what he was doing anymore.
Arthur came up beside him a second later, not rushing, not questioning, just stopping when he did. The husky stayed still, looking forward at first, then slightly to the side, avoiding direct eye contact.
The bond felt clearer at this distance.
Too clear.
Arthur's presence sat there, calm and steady, not pressing, not pulling.
Just there.
"…you keep doing that," Arthur said after a moment.
The husky's ears flicked.
He knew that tone.
Not annoyed.
Not suspicious.
Just… noticing.
The husky shifted his weight slightly, then glanced up again, briefly.
Arthur was looking at him.
Not expecting anything.
Just waiting.
The husky looked away again, ears lowering just a little before returning to normal.
He didn't respond.
He couldn't.
Not in the way Arthur probably meant.
Instead, he took a step forward.
Then another.
Slower this time.
Making sure Arthur followed.
He didn't check again.
He didn't need to.
The bond told him.
Arthur moved with him.
The distance settled again.
Close.
Not too close.
The husky exhaled softly and kept going, his pace evening out gradually. The earlier hesitation faded a little, replaced by something quieter. Not certainty, not comfort, but something closer to it than before.
Behind him, Arthur's steps stayed steady.
No pressure.
No demand.
Just presence.
The husky's tail moved again, a little more this time, catching the air behind him before settling down.
He didn't stop it as quickly now.
He let it happen once.
Then continued walking like nothing had changed.
The land ahead opened up again, quieter than before, the kind of quiet that didn't feel wrong this time. Just empty space waiting to be crossed.
The husky moved forward without stopping.
Arthur followed.
And this time, the distance between them didn't feel like something he had to control.
It just stayed where it needed to be.