He was the absolute worst.
Sadiki had said such about the stallion who plagued his nearly every waking day for however long. He'd lost track of the days, honestly, since it seemed like the days bled into each other. Now, while he wasn't as old as some others he'd seen, he was on the older side of youngish and as such, had troubles remembering what day it was. Sometimes he'd find out what he thought was the week's end, was in fact the middle of the week. At times it was disorienting, other times frightening. Was he losing his mind? Losing his memory? While there were memories he wouldn't mind letting go of, he had precious few of the family he knew about that losing those would be a tragedy.
And then...He came around.
Coyotl had noticed the older stallion conversing with others, and sometimes slipping up on what the day was. At first, he attributed it to him joking around and trying to make some fun...But before long, he noticed how there was an aura of sadness when he was corrected on the day. No one who was joking would feel like that, right?
Once Coyotl found out where the stallion- Sadiki- lived, he began a self-imposed ritual. He was going to be...helpful.
Being the type to enjoy sleeping in, Sadiki never took being woken up early well. Sometimes it was needed, yes, but it was usually his daughter, needing him for something. Now that she had finally found a forever mate and was working on expanding their tree once again, he could sleep in without much worry. It was paradise for him, and he was alright with living out his lonely days like this.
That all came to a screeching halt the one morning an uninvited guest showed up outside his thicket, waking him up with a declaration of what the day was (Saturday) and the current time (Some unholy time where by all rights everybody should be asleep, damn it.) before asking if he wanted something to eat.
For what seemed like forever, Sadiki's answer was the same; No, he 'wanted to sleep.'
Well, Coyotl couldn't have that, now could he? No, no, no, he was going to get the guy to wake up and have breakfast with him come hell or high water! So, rather than asking what the guy wanted, Coyotl would pop up with not only the day and the time, but with a fresh breakfast tucked away in a pouch he purchased from a wandering trader. Sometimes oats, sometimes a fruit variety, and very rarely some dried meats. If Sadiki wouldn't tell him what he wanted to eat, then he'd eat was he was brought.
It took a while, but soon enough, Sadiki's answer changed. From wanting sleep, to simply asking what had been brought. Though he wasn't fond of the sweeter fruits, he found himself looking forward to the morning meals. Not only because Coyotl brought fresh foodstuffs, but because...well, he had a tendency to talk about so many things. Honestly sometimes he just wouldn't shut. Up.
He was an annoyance. A gnat that wouldn't stop buzzing. But, somehow, the buzzing was comforting. While he had been 'alright' with his lot in life, he now felt...contentment.
It was only when, one day, Coyotl didn't appear, did he realize how his contentment could be interrupted.
And the day after that. And after. And after.
On one hand, he had a better grasp of the days now that this whole...thing had been happening. He could actually count the days, knew the approximate times. Routine had been established, and it was...nice. His days going by weren't so lonely, and he'd even found himself craving the company of Coyotl.
So when, after several days of nothing, Coyotl returned seemingly exhausted, Sadiki didn't know what to think, say or do.
"Happy Wednesday, 'Diki!" Coyotl called out as he approached the thicket. It hadn't been more than a few days, and he looked worse than he felt, honestly. A run-in with a shifter who demanded a duel for territory had been completely in his favor, but his paws still ached. It was only later that he learned that the shifter had been ill, and Coyotl had managed to catch it. Thus, for an entire week, he was laid up, sore, sick and forced to rest by his mother, father and sisters. They would hear nothing of him getting up for nothing.
Only when he noticed the scowl on Sadiki's face did he stop short of actually entering the thicket. The man hadn't looked at him like that since the early days of his visits, and he wasn't sure if the guy's memory had been reset, or if he had done something terribly wrong. Maybe Sadiki could scent the pancakes he'd brought and he hated pancakes? But he had liked them the last time, so what--
Coyotl's thoughts were interrupted as Sadiki shot out of the thicket straight towards him, and for a moment he thought he'd be about to get his rump beat by another handsome lad, and while he didn't mind it, he was so damn sore and not completely healthy.
Bracing himself, he was surprised when Sadiki draped his neck over his shoulders in the closest form of an embrace that could be mustered. Surprised and, he wasn't gonna fool himself, flustered.
"You damned idiot." Sadiki half-whispered, gritting his teeth. "Do you realize how many days it's been?!" His voice rose in volume until he near-screamed at the end.
"Oh...s**t, you're pissed." Coyotl couldn't think of anything else to say, feeling the slightest bit panicked. "Hey now, at least you-" He started only to be cut off.
"Can tell day from day? Yeah, I can." Sadiki interrupted him, not moving from the embrace. "Only because some annoying shithead who thought I needed to do that kept it up for me. Then you up and disappear?!"
"I was-"
"You could have been gone forever and no one would have bothered to tell me! If you're gonna go out of your damn way to be a damn annoyance in my life then how about you tell someone to come tell me you're okay when you up and disappear?!"
While Sadiki wasn't crying- not yeat at least- Coyotl could hear the pan and fear in his wavering voice. He knew that Sadiki, a singer in his youth, was able to sing his emotions clearly. But speaking them like this was breaking his heart a little.
"...Didn't meant to..." He conceded, curling his neck and head around to return the embrace. "Didn't think, man. Didn't...I'm sorry, 'Diki."
"I know it's not your fault if you were...y'know, sick." Sadiki chuckled, finally lessening the tightness of the embrace. "But you go and get me to start counting days, and then expect me not to miss you?"
"Aw, miss me?" Coyotl teased, his spirits lifting considerably. "Here I thought you couldn't wait until I stopped comin' around."
"If you ever stop coming around without either telling me you'll be back, or sending someone to tell me where to visit..."
"Sorry, sorry..." Coyotl reassured him gently. "...I mean, I could always ask my folks or..."
"Yeah. You...could. Just...Just make sure you come back after...whatever happens, alright?" Sadiki nearly pleaded, leaning back enough to look Coyotl in the eyes.
"Or, y'know. I could just hang around more. Overnight 'n stuff." Coyotl teased once more, though....
"....Yeah, okay." Sadiki laughed, even as he nudged Coyotl towards the thicket. "You already have your sitting spot, may as well make it bigger to sleep on."
"Ooooor...I could just share yours!" Once again, Coyotl was being a tease. But, why not? He knew how he felt about Sadiki, and since he was missed... "Cuz, y'know, I don't mind staying and. Being here. For good. It'd make the daily trips more--"
"Oh, so you're just being lazy and it's not because you and I are already--"
"Hey, it can be both! I can be lazy and want to care about- love you!"
"As long as you stop waking me up before the damn birds chirp! That'd prove your damn 'love'!"
"No promises, 'Diki. If I'mma live with and love someone I'm gonna be the first thing you see in the morning so I'm not gonna take chances!"
"Ugggghhhh...."
He was the absolute worst.
And Sadiki wouldn't have it any other way ever again.
