Pine Peak Sanctuary sometimes the only payoff for having any faith...

He might have slept longer, or deeper, if gravity didn't end up putting his nose under water. Ruby eyes opening wide, and a few sneezes, and he was fine. Gave a few licks at Jasper's face before emerging from the water.

A good shake. A big stretch. Another shake.

He felt puffier than usual, heh.

They could both do a good shake! Which also felt nice--Jasper pitied regular people who didn't know just how good a shake-out felt.

And look at that sweet poofy tibetan. The silver went to lick down a few spots and clean up a few droplets of water. No need to get too cold out here! Nuzzle nuzzle.

Cleaning would be mutual because that's how everything about them was.

Lick lick nibble nibble.

Reminded him of the grooming they did after the deer. This one was much less bloody, hehe.

A fox's life would really be so simple. Eat, sleep, groom, run! Survive, too, sure, but like, Jasper already did that. But on full moon nights they could live this to the fullest without hesitation.

Softly, Jasper nosed around to Matti's bad leg eventually. Very, very soft sniffs at it. It seemed like it might hurt to touch, though. Even thought the open wounds really seemed to be all gone, just little lines in the fur where teeth had torn away for temporary scars.

He didn't shy away from that nose, trusted it and the fox attached to it. Gave a whine, more of annoyance at the situation than anything else. He wanted to zoom! He wanted to climb!

But his body demanded sleep >:[ AGAIN.

Impressive jaws gave the biggest yawn.

It was definitely tough, being kept in place by your body when everything else wanted to goooooo. Jasper knew. It had been a bit different with the concussion, but in the end it was the same lesson: slow down and heal.

So he left the leg be, careful until he moved away, and then came back to stand shoulder to shoulder. They could walk back to the beaver, maybe. Take another nap, have another snack?

Lick lick at the inside of that big mouth, hehe.

Well that was weird, but not too weird. He gave the lightest of side tackles in responses, heh. Would have done a bap of his paw, but, hey, balance.

Another nap would be good. Maybe snack before turning back, raw meat was always easier on a fox stomach anyway!

Happy to do exactly that. Jasper would get his zoomies out at least once before turning back. Maybe while Matti was napping so he wouldn't be too jealous... though hard to walk away from him when he was asleep, either. So... they'd make do. As they did with many things right now.

Full belly, full emotional tank, full moon spent well.

And one last full body stretch from the silver before he was releasing into what would have once been a long ground nap and instead was now shaking off the lingering ouches of the shift and the prickles of fur. Jasper lay on the ground, sleepy but not asleep, and feeling the wonder of being awake.

"Think this'll ever get old?"

Asked to the sky, himself, and Matti.

Back to semi bipedal life. Ugh. Leg hurt a little less, at least.

"Depends which part." He replied, still lying down, stretching his arms. "Being a fox didn't get boring in over ten years, so why would the rest?"

"Great point."

Remembering shifts never got old, and that had been ages. Hybrid, too. So yeah, being awake and invulnerable like this? Shifting so quick? No, now that Jasper had a taste of it he would never want to go back.

He rolled over onto his stomach so he could look at the other, ruffled from their time running about.

"Extra nice, knowing I get to be awake and you get to be awake which means awake together."

Until they decided they wanted a nap, that was. Which felt pretty soon!

"Yeah."

Stretched an arm to extra ruffle these dark locks.

"I don't miss the no sleeping, but I kinda do too? Deepest sleep I eveeeeeeeeer" Yawn. "got."

"I just got to teach you how to sleep like me. Out fuckin' cold until the foxy senses tingle."

He was hard to catch unawares, for all he could sleep like the dead just about anywhere, regardless of comfort.

Scooted himself on his elbow until he was close enough to put head to chest. Not unlike their first incidental cuddle way back when.

"My own foxy senses just react to everything." He commented with a chuckle. "I don't know if I can unlearn that."

More fingers in hair. Human scritches.

"Maybe," Jasper said in that noncommittal way of someone who had more optimism than was probably warranted. A well rested Matti was like, the ultimate goal. Maybe it was a matter of time... they were both evolving, weren't they? Unlearning things, learning new things...

"Either way... you wanna get dressed and go find a warmer place to knock out until we decide we wanna snag an uber back?"

They could theoretically do that now, but it was a weird hour. Up to Much More Normal Matti here to decide.

Much More Normal Matti didn't feel the urge to be normal right now, or maybe another version of it.

"It's plenty warm here." He commented, pressing a kiss to that head.

They could pretend to be basic weres right now and sleep naked under the moon.

Jasper, of course, had no qualms against this whatsoever. Especially when there was snuggles to be had. And closing his eyes to that kiss just reminded him how very ready he would be to fall asleep just as soon as he let it go.

"Keep each other cozy," he agreed, wiggling for just a little more body contact with that in mind. Not opening his eyes for any of it. Never mind the pine needle currently jabbing him in the thigh. Nothing here could hurt him.

"I'm so glad that we're us."

Perhaps a final sentiment to go to dreamland on.