The celebration was loud and long, and Neve was bored within the first hour.
He wasn't unhappy. He was just bored and tired. There was no beer, pork meat or anything spicy. It was just filled with conversation flowing around the central fire about things he had no context for. Territory boundaries. Trading agreements. The specific political history between the leopard and tiger tribes that went back apparently several generations and involved disputes he had no frame of reference for.
He nodded when it seemed appropriate, said nothing, and leaned slightly into Cael's side.
Cael's arm tightened at his waist. He had not moved it since they sat down. His head had migrated to Neve's shoulder somewhere in the second hour, which Neve had noticed and then decided not to acknowledge because acknowledging it would require doing something about it. But right now, he was comfortable with it. The weather was cold, and Cael was warm.
He was like a very large cat who had found a sunny spot.
