Chapter Text
Things were a little tense in the house lately, to say the least.
V was just coming out of her heat cycle, so her libido was still pretty high, and she wanted attention and touch all the time still (though it was getting better).
Meanwhile, J was… experiencing something she hadn't before.
She wanted to be touched, wanted to be held, and was yearning more now than ever. She felt hot all the time. Hell, she'd made a nest for the first time! She had no idea what was going on.
And her… watching habits were worse.
Now, J was a watcher by nature; she wanted to know what was going on at all times, which was why she was so useful during hunting.
But it also meant she was very…
Nosy.
Anytime she heard noises from V and N's room, or them on the couch, she couldn't help but perk her ears to listen.
And more often than not lately, it was them having sex.
Which led to her kinda… sneaking around to… watch.
She was a watcher by nature! She couldn't help it!
But it had… gotten worse with the feelings she'd been having lately. Like, way worse.
Just a few days ago, when V was still in her peak, J could hear the two of them going at it through the wall.
She should've left it at that, just listened through the walls like she usually did.
But she got… greedy?
She had sneaked out of her room and slowly crept down the hall to the other two's shared bedroom, peaking in through the crack in the door - they never shut the door fully.
And god, if it didn't make her heart flutter as she watched.
Getting to watch, getting to see the two of them in such an intimate moment, tangled up together, moaning each other's names…
It made her feel way more than curious. Like, usually when she listened, she just imagined what they were doing, pretended she was there.
But this time, she was… there. She was watching. She didn't have to imagine what they were doing.
She got to see.
And god, was it a sight.
Getting to see them tangled, bent over each other, kisses looking so tender, moans and soft noises as they rocked against each other…
She had never felt yearning before, but she was sure this was what it felt like.
She even saved the memory to her system, zoomed in and everything…
That night, she ended up shamelessly getting off in her bed, memory of those two on loop on her screen, noises and all (though she turned the volume way down).
But now it was a few days later. V's heat was basically over. She and N were out on separate errands, leaving J alone in the apartment.
She built a pretty shitty nest on the edge of the couch. She thought it was good! But something was missing… She'd never built a nest before; she didn't know what she needed to make it feel better.
I mean, she'd seen V's nests before — built so seamlessly into itself, so grand and comfortable-looking…
And then there was J's nest - looking thrown together, sloppy. Something so foreign to the usually put-together drone.
She'd tried her best, but… it looked like a child built it.
But now, she was curled up in said nest, gotten changed into a tank top and some shorts to try and combat just how hot she felt, a hoodie she'd stolen from N and a shirt she'd stolen from V tucked under her belly as she rubbed her face against the sides of her nest. She was breathing so heavily, squirming here and there as she made soft whines and noises against the blankets.
She held the stolen items close with one hand, the other one frantically rubbing at herself through her shorts. It was not coordinated by any means, barely doing anything for her, but her head just felt so fuzzy… and the small amount of relief she was getting was keeping her at bay… Plus, she had the memory on loop too, which was helping her out just a bit more…
At least, until the front door swung open, and V walked in with bags of groceries. She recoiled as soon as she stepped in, the scent of J so overwhelming, even as she covered her nose with the sleeve of her jacket. "Jesus Christ," she mumbled, setting the bags down as she shut the door behind her and crept in, looking around slowly before her eyes finally landed on J and her nest.
She looked… hurt. Uncomfortable. And she was—
V's cheeks dusted with blush as she realized that J was in the middle of jerking off on their couch.
But the embarrassment quickly gave way to worry. J made a nest. The house stank of her. She looked like she was in pain… What was going on with her?
V slowly crept over, careful not to make sudden movements as not to startle J—
And then she heard it — her own voice:
"God- Fuck! N- fffaster—!!"
And then N's—
"I got you- I got you just-- Biscuits—!"
Her cheeks lit up again. Was… Did J hear them that clearly through the walls?
She slowly made her way over, peaking around the couch to get a better look at J.
The girl's cheeks were red, and she was visibly sweating. Her visor was all fogged up, her tail thrashing behind her, and her hair was out of the ponytails, tangled and oily.
She had her jaw clenched. V could see her fangs poking out the sides of her lips as she made upset whines and growls against the blankets.
She'd be more embarrassed about J replaying audio of her and N fucking, if it weren't for the fact that J seemed genuinely distressed.
"Ohhh, no," V mumbled softly, letting her tail droop as she slowly made her way closer. "You're in heat," she murmured, sitting on the floor in front of J before hesitantly running a hand through the girl's hair.
J flinched at the sudden touch, her visor shutting off the memory loop as she looked up with those big, foggy, and embarrassed eyes. "V—" she started, sitting up slightly as she took her hand out of her shorts and held the stolen clothes closer to herself. "I can- I can explain—!"
V held a hand up, a gentle 'stop talking,' as she glanced down and took the shirt and hoodie away, holding them aside.
"You've been watching us," V said, her voice low, but not angry. More… tired. Concerned. It was not a question.
J stared with horrified eyes, opening and closing her mouth as she fought to find words to say, her face burning even more so. One hand shot out to try and grab at the clothes again — just for V to pull them away once more. Instead, her hands twisted in the fabric of her shorts, nervous fidgets that just— screamed guilt, even if it was mixed with something way needier underneath.
She whimpered quietly as she stared up, pressing back into the couch some before slightly nodding.
Fast.
Shamefully.
"I know," V sighed. "The walls are thin."
She glanced back towards her and N's shared bedroom door, the same one they made love behind multiple times recently… loudly… repeatedly…
Then she looked back at J, shaking more from fear than from her heat itself.
"Look… I'm not mad about that."
J pressed back into the couch further, holding her hands to herself as she breathed heavily. "Look- Look, I-I can explain—!"
V held a hand up again - 'Stop. Calm.'
"Breathe first," she said gently. "You're not gonna explain anything 'till you stop looking like your circuits are going to explode."
V stared at the other girl for a moment longer before slowly setting the shirt and hoodie back in her reach, not returning them fully, but offering.
She shifted from her knees into a crisscross position, resting a hand on the couch as she looked at the smaller drone.
"So," V started, her voice soft and steady, "First question… How long?"
J swallowed thick, her hands fumbling and twitching as she reached to try and grab at the clothes, but forced herself to stay still. "N-Not long…?" she mumbled. If V didn't understand that J was lying, then the virus she had that would flash a symbol when she lied definitely gave it away now.
V's eyes glanced up. The tiny red exclamation mark in the corner of J's screen was a dead giveaway.
She saw it. Of course she did. She took in a short breath, her eyebrow twitching. Not angry, just… unimpressed. Like she caught a toddler stealing cookies who was telling her that they 100% didn't, even with chocolate all over their face.
"Uh-huh," V deadpanned, "and I guess the memory you were watching just happened to be… what? N laughing at his own jokes?" She tilted her head to the side, voice dropping just a bit more — just enough to cut through the fog of J's brain. "Or was it maybe… me moaning his name while he had me pinned against our bed? Because, yeah. That audio was crystal clear, J."
J breathed heavy and blushed more, holding her legs tight to her chest.
"V-V, I can- I can explain—" She made a little noise, eyes darting down to look at the stolen clothes once more. "I…I don't… I don't know what's wrong with me—" she started. "A-and I'd never- I'm not- I'd never try to take N from you, he's- he's your mate, I'd never—" She stuttered, even though V hadn't said anything about that. "A-and with the watching, I-I wasn't trying to- to spy, I just—"
V's face shifted slightly, something softer now. More pity, less anger. Realization.
She heard it now, the panic in J's voice, the way she stumbled over each word like she was scared she was overstepping just by talking… and how she was clinging to saying "I would never" like it was some secret password.
And—
"Wait," V said, lifting a hand again as she furrowed her brow, "You think… I'm mad because you wanted N?" she mumbled flatly, like that was literally the dumbest assumption someone as smart as J could come to.
"I-I don't!" she yelped, her screen flashing the little warning again, "I don't- it's- fine, he's yours, I don't—" J pressed back into the couch, breathing heavy as she forced her hands to grip the blankets under her.
V watched, then exhaled slowly, like she was trying to rein herself in.
Then she leaned forward, just a bit, so that she could look J in the eyes.
"J…" she started, "Listen to me, I'm not mad because you wanted N."
V paused, thinking over words carefully.
"I'm… I'm mad that you've been suffering alone. That you didn't come to me or even N about how you've been feeling."
She sighed softly as she rested a hand on one of J's. "You think this is about stealing? Competition?" She shook her head slightly. "This isn't a fight over territory, J."
V sighed once again as she watched J shrink in on herself, looking at V with confused eyes.
"Look," she said gently, "I know. Me and N… We're loud. We're messy, very open about each other."
A small blush crept up her cheeks as she recalled a few days ago, before clearing her throat and looking back at J.
"But I also know that when you've… got feelings for someone… you don't always hide them well."
She glanced at the strewn-about nest beside and under J, and something in her core twisted at how… survival it is.
"And I've noticed things too," she mumbled, gently reaching and rubbing over J's knuckles even as the girl shrank back even more. "…You made a nest," she mumbled. Not an accusation, just a fact.
J breathed and looked up from her knees, shaking lightly as she looked at her poorly-constructed—not comfy-looking at all—nest, swallowing thickly as she shifted. V followed J's gaze at the nest, and her expression softened instantly.
It was… sad.
Not like pathetic, but sad like someone who tried their best to make something great, with no idea what they were doing.
The blankets were tangled and crumpled together; it looked less like a nest and more like an unmade bed. There wasn't even proper cushioning, just layers of fabric thrown together in a panic.
And V could see right through it. This wasn't made for comfort.
It was made for survival.
For warmth. Safety. Something to feel solid around J when everything felt out of control…
"You've never done that before," V said gently, again, not asking — stating, her voice quieter as she pointed it out.
She watched as J shifted in place, swallowing thickly. She shook her head, pinning her ears back as she twisted her hands in her tank top. V softened at the sight, the type of look she usually reserved for N, when he was overthinking something dumb. Gentle — but firm with care.
She sighed and stood up, taking a few steps to the side before carefully picking up blankets and folding them up.
"Okay," V sighed, "first rule, nests aren't built in public."
She took her time, folding blankets up, untangling clothes and pillows, and only really stopped when J made a soft whine and attempted to nip at her…
But she didn't go through with it. Just snapped her jaw shut instead and pulled away.
No bite, no growl. Just a soft, sad whine in the air.
And V knew. Not just that J didn't attack, because her instincts should've kicked in hard by now — but why she didn't.
J trusted her.
Even when overwhelmed. Even when ashamed.
Her systems recognized V as safe, as pack.
V lifted her head slightly, eyes softening as she looked at J. Pausing, she set the blankets back down on the couch, crouching slightly to meet J eye-to-eye.
"I'm not taking it away, hun," she mumbled, the name rolling off her tongue so easily. "We're just gonna move it somewhere more private, so your instincts won't be in fight-or-flight while you get some rest, okay?"
V gently cupped J's cheek as she talked, thumb running over the other's cheekbone as J hiccuped, making a soft whine after. At the very least, J seemed to relax a bit, whether at the nickname or the touch, V wasn't sure.
"It'll be better," V promised gently, "and safer. No one's gonna walk in on you by accident… or hear things they shouldn't."
Her voice softened at the end a bit — because yeah, that was part of it, too. The embarrassment. The fear of being caught when you were already feeling so exposed, so emotional.
J just hiccuped as she looked at the empty spot beside her, her lip wobbling lightly. "B-but—" she whimpered softly.
V watched J's reaction for a bit, following her gaze to the empty space. And then it clicked. J wasn't upset about the nest being moved.
She was upset about losing control.
About someone seeing how bad she'd gotten at taking care of herself, how bad she was at building nests.
J was always a very put-together drone; of course being seen as weak was going to upset her.
V's face softened as she sighed and held J's cheeks with both hands.
"J," she said softly, "I'm not doing this because I think your nest sucks."
J looked up at her with her ears pinned back, fingers twisting into her tank top. "B-but took it down—!" she hiccuped. "You took down because-cause it's bad—!"
V sighed softly as she rubbed at J's cheeks, picking up the soft stutter in the other drone's voice.
"Hun…" she said gently, tilting the girl's face up to be eye-to-eye again. "Your nest isn't bad," she murmured. "Not bad at all."
J just made another whine, hands wrapping around V's wrists as she pressed lightly into the touch. "T-then why'd you take it down—?!"
V took a soft breath as she stopped rubbing at J's cheekbones.
"Because you were suffering," she said simply. "And I could see that."
She leaned in slightly, one hand moving from her cheek to feel at J's forehead with the back of her hand (warm, like she expected).
"I came home, and you were here alone, overwhelmed, rubbing yourself raw like it wasn't helping…" Her eyes flicked down briefly, just observing her truth before looking back up at J's eyes again.
"And having your nest out in the open isn't helping your instincts at all. You built it on the couch, hun," she said softly. "People sit there. Eat snacks. Leave stains and scents…" V set both her hands down once more. "Nests are supposed to be private, hidden… where you can control every part of it."
Watching J shrink in on herself some more, V sighed, gentle, patient, and gently tugged J into a hug against her chest. Not forceful, nor demanding. Just warm. Safe.
And for the first time since this whole mess started?
J relaxed.
Maybe not as much as she could, she wasn't nearly as calm as V would like. But she'd work on that in a bit.
"You don't have to fight me," V mumbled softly as she rested their foreheads together. "I'm not your enemy here."
J tensed just slightly before her hands lifted and gripped onto V's jacket. After a soft hiccup, she put her head down and buried it against V's neck, whimpering softly. V just shushed her gently and rubbed her lower back.
"You're okay," she mumbled before gently pulling back, one hand staying on J's lower back as she stood up again and grabbed the blankets again before nodding her head towards J's bedroom.
"C'mon," she mumbled. "Let's go build you a proper nest, yeah?"
J whined, but did reluctantly get up off the couch and follow V to her bedroom, ears pinned back as she fidgeted and twisted her hands in her shirt more.
V didn't say anything, didn't point out J's fidgeting, or her tail swaying around, or how she subconsciously stepped to be closer to V. She didn't mention any of it, just walked to J's door and rested the blankets on her hips before opening the door.
The second the door opened, both she and J physically recoiled.
V thought the living room smelled strongly of J; in here, it was so much worse, bad enough that she covered her nose with her shirt and handed a blanket to J to do the same.
No wonder she didn't build her nest in here: it was too overwhelming for her. The living room had V's scents, N's scents, food smells, perfume, all sorts of stuff that wasn't just J.
And yeah, her being in the doorway made it a little worse, given how strong her room and the living room were.
"Okay- okay," she said quietly with a quick breath as she shut the door again, turning around to face J.
"We're not building your nest here."
J stared up at her from under the blanket and blinked, confused, as if expecting rejection for failing at something so simple again, but V just smiled gently and nodded, making her way down the hallway, slow enough for J to follow.
"We're doing this in my room instead."
J's breath hitched as she tensed up a bit, fumbling to follow while trying not to trip over her own feet.
"B-but- that's your room-! A-and your nest is in there, and- N—"
V just nodded, turning her head slightly to look at J with a soft smile as she opened the door.
"Yeah, my nest," she said gently, stopping as she turned to face J. "And I'm willing to share."
Once again, J whined, holding her hands to her face, pressing on her cheeks as she pinned her ears back and glanced around nervously.
"B-but- you're mates, and- and I'm-"
The second V saw the panic rising, the fear of overstepping, of intruding on something that wasn't hers, she cut through it.
"J," she said firmly, one hand reaching out to gently guide the smaller drone's hands away from her face. "N wont mind at all. And even if he did, I'm inviting you in."
She gave a soft smile at J's confused face, just holding one of her wrists and rubbing her thumb over the pulse point.
"N isn't going to care," she repeated, "and you need a proper nest, one you can relax in without feeling like you're going to short circuit or cry every five seconds," She murmured, squeezing J's wrist gently as she paused before starting again.
"Your room is not an option right now. It's going to stress you out more," V said softly before moving her hand up to cup J's cheek. "I am offering and inviting you to stay in our room, where you'll feel safer and calmer since it's not so open."
J just looked so confused, her mouth opening and closing as she fought to get her words going, making an upset noise in her throat as she shifted from side to side, scratching at her cheeks.
"B-but you- but—" she stuttered hard, "dating- a-and mates and not- me— I can't—"
V's face shifted slightly, a bit more stern as she stepped over after setting the blankets on the floor, gently grabbing the girl's wrists to stop her from scratching, just enough pressure to say, I'm not letting you spiral right now.
"Listen," she said lowly. "You're not ruining anything, and for the record, I—" She took a breath before locking eyes with J. "I like you a lot."
She had to fight back the unamused look or sigh she wanted to give at J making a confused noise and face. She sighed and just intertwined their fingers together.
"Yeah. I like you. A lot," she murmured again, softly, rubbing her thumb up the sides of J's hands.
"And I've seen things. Noticed things about you." She glanced back up to J from looking at her hands. "How you watch us. How you try and… and hide when we're being affectionate to each other. How you stare just a bit too long when N kisses me good morning…"
J's ears pinned back as she turned her head to look away, cheeks redder, but she was more upset than embarrassed right now. V didn't let her pull away, just used one hand to tilt her head back towards herself as she met her eyes again.
"I'm not mad, you know," she murmured, so quiet you'd think she was sharing a secret. "I'm not even upset… I just—" She sighed. "I really wish you'd… talked to me or N about… this."
"This?…" J whispered, sniffling slightly as she melted into the touches slightly, looking up at V with those big eyes.
V didn't pull away. She let the moment stand still for a bit, just holding the other's wrist and cheeks. She moved a strand of silver hair away from J's face and tucked it behind her ear.
"We've talked about it, you know," she murmured, cupping J's cheek tenderly once more. "Me and N… asking you to… to join our relationship, our pack."
Her voice dipped slightly as she let out a soft chuckle. "For a while now, actually."
J made a confused noise once more as she sniffled, fidgeting with her shirt as she shifted on her feet some more.
"You… you have…?" she mumbled, really, really liking the idea of being a part of their pack…
V blinked, then furrowed her brows as she just stared at J for a few extra seconds, moving her hand away from the girl's cheek and back to holding her hands.
J had… no idea?
No clue about the quiet conversations she and N had in their room after sex?
No clue about the subtle courting methods they'd done?
The way N would sigh and say, "I think she's scared to even hope."
… Maybe he was right. J always got iffy about relationships, her reasoning being really… self-deprecating.
… Did J really believe she didn't deserve love?
V let out a soft sigh, half a light laugh in disbelief. "Oh my robo-god," she laughed lightly. "We've been courting you, planning on how to ask you out properly… and you thought we didn't want you around?"
V's face softened as she watched J shrink back in on herself, shrugging lightly. She didn't tease, didn't scold. Just tugged J into a soft hug.
"Sweetheart…" she whispered, a hint of regret under her breath at not making it more clear for the poor drone. "We do want you around… We were just… waiting for the right time to actually bring it up to you."
J's whine reached V's ears before she slumped against V some more, holding onto the other's jacket as she hiccuped and buried her face against her.
V held her close, no judgment, just warmth. She rocked slightly from side to side, as if rocking a child after a nightmare.
And slowly, so slowly… J relaxed.
Her stiff frame eased, tail uncurling from its tight coil, and even the whining turned into soft noises against V's shoulder.
"It's okay," V murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the shorter drone's temple. "I've got you."
She held the hug for a bit longer, running soft touches up J's back as she swayed slowly in place. She hummed softly, occasionally glancing down to check on J as she pressed her face close to V's shoulder.
After a moment longer, she spoke again. "Let's go get that nest built for you, yeah? The sooner it's built, the sooner you'll feel better."
J sniffed slightly, rubbing at her face slightly and whining when V pulled away with a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.
After picking up the blankets and turning, V finally opened the bedroom door. Almost immediately, it felt different.
Warmer. Safer. The room smelled like them—like N's shampoo and calming oil-based musk, mixed with V's sharper, more electric signature. But not overwhelming… just balanced.
And neat. Neat and cozy were the words one could use to describe the room.
The bed was so comfy-looking, with piles of soft blankets, pillows, and plushies (definitely N's…) lining all the sides. It wasn't made by any means, still rumpled from that morning when N rolled out of bed after sleeping so sprawled out.
The room was warm, too. It had more natural sunlight than J's room (her window was on the other side…), and even more than the living room, thanks to the windows being so big.
After letting her in, V turned slightly to J and smiled. "Okay," she said gently. "This is where your nest is gonna go, okay?"
She gestured around as if she were announcing something grand or glorious.
"Better air flow, more sun, less scent saturation for you… and way better access to me."
J shifted from side to side as she let her ears come unpinned and her tail uncoil behind her, sniffing the air and looking around with weary eyes.
The scent was calm, inviting, not nearly as overpowering or overwhelming as her own scent or bedroom. No piles of clothes or empty oil cans, just clean sheets, soft lighting from the overhead panel, and two big windows slightly cracked open for fresh air.
As J visibly relaxed, V gave her a soft smile and ushered her in to look around.
"See?" V said gently, already moving to grab extra blankets from her closet. "Less 'I'm about to implode' vibes, yeah?"
V moved to start making a soft platform on the floor as J nodded and explored some, feeling over the blankets and such as she let herself get used to the area, running hands over the bed, sometimes sniffing the air. It was a lot to get used to for the drone whose instincts usually weren't this strong.
Giving her a soft glance, V kept working. She wasn't building a complete nest; she was just starting the outline for one so J can make it hers. The most important part was that it was private now.
She tucked the blankets around each other, making a little circle of blankets and pillows shaped sort of like a dog bed, tucked safely in the corner. Then, she set J's (and the new) blankets down beside it, and set the earlier stolen clothes inside the nest. Then, she turned back to J with a light smile.
"This is yours now. Come make it how you want, yeah?"
J just stared at it, shifting on her feet as her tail wrapped around her own leg nervously. She fidgeted with her shirt again before V prompted her with a soft wave.
"Come here," she said gently before holding up a soft blanket and offering it to J. "You put this in, first layer."
She offered the fabric with one hand, the other resting on the rim of the nest, as she held the blanket out to J like an invitation.
Not taking over. Letting J build her own safe space—in their room, sure—but still making it feel like hers.
J blinked but hesitantly took the blanket, looking down at the nest as she held the fabric up to her nose to smell it. Eventually, though, she slowly made her way to the nest and sat in the middle, starting to arrange the blankets as she liked.
V just stepped back and let her handle it, only occasionally offering a blanket, a hoodie, or a shirt, but other than that, just let J make it her own.
She watched quietly, no teasing, no commentary, just watched for a bit longer before getting up with a soft comb through the other's tangled hair. She grimaced slightly at the oily feeling but got over it fast as she went and grabbed a few extra pillows and set them just outside the nest.
J stared at her as the items were offered, before taking them in from the side of the nest like they were sacred offerings. She started arranging things to her liking, making the middle fluffier but with higher walls now because of the pillows. And after a bit longer of construction, she curled up in the middle and lay down, making a soft, content noise as she relaxed and pressed her face against the soft fabrics.
V smiled a bit and sat down just outside the nest, not to intrude, but offered a gentle hand, which J rested her chin on.
"There…" V said softly, "Isn't that better?"
J nodded slightly and pressed her cheek into V's hand with a light hum. V smiled back at her and rubbed her cheek.
"Yeah… I thought this would help you feel better," V murmured, thumb brushing over the smaller drone's cheekbone and watching J close her eyes as she started purring ever so slightly.
V smiled a little more. Mate J was calm, which calmed her instincts further.
Now that she had the nest in a private place, and it was more comfortable, that took one stress off J's plate for now, which made V feel better too.
V had assumed most of the stress was that her instincts didn't like the nest position, and given how quickly J melted into this nest, she was probably right.
J looked so much calmer, more peaceful—even if she wasn't calm enough to fall asleep.
She just curled up into a small ball, a soft blanket tucked against her tummy and a hoodie pressed against her nose as she breathed against her new nest, her soft purrs rumbling gently in her chest and against V's hand.
V watched silently, just running her thumb in soft circles against the other's cheek, letting her fall apart in a much more positive way, instead of what would've been a breakdown earlier.
J always hid from her instincts and emotions; this was the first time in a long time when the other drone just let herself feel without trying to push it away.
But, to be fair, her body was basically in survival mode.
Still, V was happy. She liked seeing J so relaxed, so subdued. It was like a massive weight was lifted off her shoulders, or like she came up for air after being underwater for so long.
V stayed looking at the other girl silently, holding her face gently as she just relished in the comfort of finally being able to relax.
It was so rare to see this side of J, and if J did fully know what was going on, there was no way she'd have let V see her like this.
But she had been so trusting, even in her fuzzy state.
Watching for a moment longer, V finally spoke up again.
"Hey, hun?" she said gently, as if she'd wake J if she were asleep.
J made a slight annoyed noise at the sudden talking, flickering her eyes back open and slightly lifting her head from the nest to look up at V. V just smiled gently and continued rubbing at her cheek.
"I was thinkin'…" she started, shifting from her knees to be cross-legged outside the nest. "Maybe you should stay here a bit longer. This nest is a lot better than the one you had before, right? And in here we can keep an eye on you."
She didn't want to push too hard, but…the thought of J moving back to the living room, or worse—her bedroom—made V nervous. She needed variety in scent, and in here was the clearest she was going to get.
… among other reasons V wanted her in here.
"Plus," V said softly. "N is coming home soon… He'd want you in here with us anyway," she added.
She saw the conflict in J's face before she even responded. How quick she was to curl in on herself, force herself to sit up away from the nest. How fast she shook her head no.
V didn't need to ask to know—J didn't want to intrude.
V cursed internally. How much more does she need to do, or say, to get J to understand they want her here?
Taking a short breath, V scooted closer (not yet in the nest, just bordering) and held both J's cheeks.
"Hey, sweetheart," she said softly. "Look at me."
She waited until J's gaze met her own, her core clenching at how nervous and uncomfortable the girl looked. Fix that, her instincts screamed. Make your mate friend feel better.
"This is your nest, now," she said firmly. "We want you here. N's gonna worry himself sick if he comes home and finds out you started heat and stayed in a place you're not comfortable in."
She let out a breath through her nose before dropping her head slightly to put their foreheads together again.
"I'm worried about you. That you felt you couldn't come to us about this," V murmured gently, watching J's eyes shift from uncomfortable to something more gentle.
"Your… Your space…" J mumbled meekly. V sighed softly in return, pulling back just to squish J's cheeks in her hands.
"Our space," she corrected. "If I didn't want you here, I wouldn't have invited you in here, or helped you build your nest here..."
J glanced up through her lashes, her ears twitching on her head, like they were deciding whether to pin back or not. Internal conflict was so much more obvious on her face.
But J was smart, even in this state. And she knew…
V doesn't lie. If she said that, she meant it.
So J just swallowed, flicking her ears around before nodding slightly and letting her hands fall back into the nest, fingers loosely curled around the fabrics under her.
V smiled, pressing their noses together before letting go.
"Good girl," she murmured, grinning at how smiley it made J. "Can… can I come in your nest, sweetheart?"
She asked it gently, because she knew. You don't climb into someone's nest without asking.
Unsurprisingly, J nodded, scooting over slightly as she curled up on her side once more with a new blanket tucked to her tummy and a light shiver. V took note, running a hand through her hair for a second with furrowed brows.
"You feel cold, hun?" she asked softly, "You're shivering." V frowned a bit when J nodded. She wasn't exactly surprised, heat felt different for everyone—it was a sort of fever.
She took a second to get up, grabbing the heated blanket off her side of the bed before laying it over J, tucking it more around her tummy and neck before climbing in the nest beside her carefully.
"There we go…" she murmured, watching J relax all the more, nose buried in the blanket as she made a happy chirp. V smiled, resting a soft hand on the other's hip and rubbing soft circles into the fabric-covered skin with her thumb. "Yeah… Just relax. I've got you."
Her own brain relaxed as J's body did,watching as J let her eyes flutter shut again, snuggled up in the warmth of the blankets and safety of her new nest.
V was going to have to run N through exactly what happened once he got home, but for now, she was content to stay like this—watching, protecting, keeping J comfortable.
It's what her pack should do.