He felt a small stirring at Padma's words, the promise of much more arousal to come, after they'd had some sleep, perhaps. He nuzzled his nose against her, mostly to allow himself to break eye contact before he blushed the color of her crimson towel. There was much more he wanted her to do to him, and he to her, but speaking it in words was not something he had ever done, and he supposed it would take some getting used to.
Meanwhile, Padma's fingertip was lightly trailing across his bicep, and without having to look down, he recited, "We live not as we wish to, but as we can." He moved his own hand to mirror the touch on her shoulder and explained quietly, "It's a Chinese proverb that my pack leader used to say. He was the only one in the pack who didn't hate me, and I tried to always remember the things he said." Faelan hesitated, remembering, and wondered again if the ghost of his old friend had been visiting him in his dreams, or if it was only wishful thinking.
"Some of the other wolves killed him, and I...I missed him a lot. The vertical part says 'rest in peace, twenty-five, five, oh-one'. It's the day he died."
Their eyes met again, and he felt like a prat for talking about such depressing stuff at a time like this.