Phoenix Drop University- Softmore Year

2: The Itch

A/N This would have been out yesterday but I had a headache the size of Texas so... it's here today, I hope you all enjoy.

She pulls into a familiar parking lot in front of a familiar red-brick building with the PDU logo emblazoned with purple and gold letters on the front. The air is blurred with rain, and the sky blackened. But the large marble statue of a Phoenix still stands proudly in front of the school.

She slides her backpack onto her shoulders and pulls out a large, violet umbrella. And makes the short walk to the parking lot to the front door.

The front hall looks no different, the huge tube-like aquarium still in the middle, and many students milling around the hall, no one she knows. But she does see a rather nervous looking freshman staring into the aquarium.

The freshman has almost silver hair and almost neon green eyes, much more vibrant than Travis's eyes, they almost glow. A pair of short, silver ears are patted down next to his  head, and his tail is stuffed between his legs. He's also, very, very tiny. Even smaller than Aphmau herself.

He smells of anxiety and blueberries. But a little bit of wet dog from the rain.

Aphmau goes up to him, as the Alpha female, a new pack member interests her, that and she relates to the anxious little pup.

"So... see anything interesting?" She says from behind him, and the tiny werewolf jumps a foot in the air in shock, spinning around with a terrified look on her face.

"N-No... Yes!? Umm..." His voice is squeaky, feeble and shaky. He avoids her eyes like the plague.

"Easy, I'm Aphmau. I'm the Alpha female of the werewolf students here." She smiles down motherly at the scared freshman and chuckles.

"This is where you tell me your name pup."

"Oh!" The little werewolf yelps. "I'm Axel... Axel Scott." He holds out a skinny hand and shakes hers. Before suddenly the bell for sorting tolls.

"Ah! Oh no... I'm going to get stuck with someone I don't know, or a jerk or-" Aphmau starts laughing a little too hard. A feeling of huge deja-vu takes over her.

"Don't worry, I was scared last year, it'll be fine, Axel." He grins nervously before slipping into the line of freshman going to be sorted, and Aphmau takes the long way to her and Aaron's room, after what happened last year she's not taking any chances.

Almost immediately after she open the door she's greeted by the warm embrace of her boyfriend. He looks down at her with steel eyes and smiles, his black ears laid back and his tail wagging.

"Welcome home, Aph." The room does look considerably different, all the proper furniture has been replaced with more rustic furniture, the walls are now bamboo, the flooring, mahogany. And the couch a warm brown with blankets stacked everywhere.

Upstairs is different now as well, instead of two beds, there is only one, larger bed with a mounted deer head above it, this floor too is mahogany. And all the lights have decorative horns around them.

"Did I just step back in time?" She asks, looking at the Tv in their bedroom and remembering the one still downstairs.

"No, but it is cozy, and looks like we'll be sharing the bed this time around." He hugs her from behind, resting his scruffy chin on her head.

"I missed you." He says quietly, kissing the back of her head. Aphmau blushes, the cold, emptiness she had felt in his absence being replaced with the warmth of his embrace.

"I missed you too." She nuzzles him, both slowly growling into each other softly.

Aphmau stomach rumbles, and they both stop to look down.

"Pizza?" Aaron asks knowingly, already having his phone out to call the pizza place. And Aphmau gazes up at him with a smirk.

"Pizza." He chuckles and paces into the next room to order. And she flops onto the brown, squishy sofa with the grace of a drunk whale. The couch creaking in protest.

She closes her eyes, her mind oddly empty. She loved her childhood home, but here is where she truly felt like she was home.

"Bacon?" Aaron asks from the doorway and Aphmau nods, a few more seconds and he joined her on the couch. Turning on the Tv onto some random droning sitcom.

"What's wrong Aph? You look tired." He asks as he plays with her hair, barely paying attention to the Tv.

"That's the second time someone asked me what was wrong. Do I seriously give off that vibe?" She replies, leaning her head against his chest.

"Yes. You're not acting like yourself. Are you in-" He's cut off by a very loud and abrupt cough.

"No! I'm not! It's just..." She feels the emptiness return, even though Aaron is next to her. She snuggles against him.

"I... Don't know what's wrong with me. I just feel? Empty..." Aaron stares into her eyes, reading them, before leaning back into the sofa.

"You got the nesting itch." He says almost calmly, but inside he's freaking out, niether of them are ready for children, but unfortunately her wolf doesn't care.

"The what itch?" She glances up at him confused. And he immediately regrets saying anything.

"I forget you're still new to this. The 'nesting' itch is like when you're in heat. Except you feel the opposite, cold. It's your wolf's way of telling you to start a family." He observes her face very carefully, and it goes from tanned. To pale. To bright crimson.

"What? Um No! Then my wolf can bugger off! That's not happening!" Aaron feels both relieved and hurt, he had definitely thought of children, but not until they both got out of college.

"You don't want to have pups with me?" If possible, Aphmau's face gets even redder. And she stammers over her words.

"I n-never said that. I just meant it's not happening anytime soon." Aaron smirks, oh he's going to get a lot of mileage out of this one.

"So you have thought about it?" Aphmau covers her face, making Aaron laugh. Aphmau kicks his shin.

"Ugh. I hate you sometimes. Is there a way to get rid of it?" She asks slowly, remembering the last time they had this similar conversation.

"Yeah. Having pups. Other than that no. You'll just have to ignore it and hope it goes away" He flicks through channels while Aphmau thinks on this, it isn't that bad and they definitely are not ready to have pups.

"Wait. How do you know that?" Aaron's cheeks suddenly go pick. And heat explodes in his stomach.

"Uhm... It isn't exclusive to girls you know."