In light of all the depressing news in the LADS community lately, I wanted to create a cozy space to breathe. I'll be writing Valko oneshots to bring some comfort.
If you want to see a specific scenario, please send in a request! Short prompts, imagines, and whole scenarios are all welcome.
Summary: He's a serious tech chairman by day, but completely safe in his mate's arms by night. When a late-night work session turns into an impromptu lap nap, his guard fully drops.
Genre(s): Tooth-rotting fluff, Soft comfort, Established relationship
Word Count: 1.1k
Warnings!!!: None!
English isn't my first language! Some sentences might sound weird.
Thanks for understanding!
The relationship was still fresh enough that you could count the weeks on one hand, yet somehow, Valko had already seamlessly woven himself into the fabric of your space.
You leaned back into the cushions next to him, aiming the remote at the TV and mindlessly switching between channels. Nothing was on. The rhythmic, monotonous clack-clack-clack of his fingers flying over the keyboard was the only real soundtrack of the evening.
Bored with the screen, you let your head tilt sideways to look at him instead.
Right now, he looked entirely human, no telltale wolf ears atop of his his, no heavy tail brushed against the cushions. He was just a man deeply entrenched in his element, leaned back against the cushions, his laptop balancing precariously on his thighs, his face illuminated by the harsh glow of the screen. Perched on the bridge of his nose were his usual blue-light-filtering glasses.
You watched him for a moment, a quiet warmth settling in your chest, entirely content to just drift off to the steady rhythm of his typing.
Glancing at the corner of the TV screen, you noticed the time and let out a short huff.
"Hey," you murmured, nudging your shoulder against his arm. "Take a look at the clock. It's getting late, you need a break."
He didn't even blink, his fingers never wavering from the keyboard. "Can't," he muttered, voice a sleepy rumble. "I need to get this section done by tomorrow morning, or the backlog is going to bury me for the rest of the week."
You raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of your lips. "Is that why you've rewritten that exact same paragraph for the fifth time now?"
That finally seemed to have cracked his armor. His fingers froze over the keys and he let out a long, defeated sigh, sliding his glasses off his face to set them on the armrest. Valko brought his hands up to rub his eyes tiredly, the picture of unmasked sheer exhaustion. You had to bite your tongue to hold back another comment about how you were genuinely surprised his eyes hadn't turned completely square by now.
"Come here," you said softly, repeating your idea for a break. You grabbed a plush cushion from the side, settled it comfortably across your lap, and patted it invitingly. "Five minutes."
Valko looked down at the makeshift pillow, and his gaze immediately softened, the tense lines around his eyes melting away. A low, tired chuckle rumbled in his chest. "You really know how to drive a bargain, don't you?"
He finally relented, but true to his nature, he carefully saved his document first before closing the lid. After setting his laptop safely onto the coffee table, he shifted, letting his heavy head sink down onto your lap.
For a moment he stared up at the TV, his eyes tracking the moving colors on the screen as if he actually intended to watch. But the warmth of your presence and the sheer exhaustion of the day caught up to him fast. Within mere minutes, his blinks grew slower and longer until his eyes closed completely. A moment later, a soft, rhythmic snoring filled the quiet room, his weight dropping fully onto you and keeping you anchored to the couch.
A wave of profound warmth spread through your chest as you looked down at his relaxed, sleeping face. Unable to resist, you gently rested your hand on his back, your fingers tracing a slow, soothing pattern against the fabric of his shirt.
Gradually, your hand drifted upwards, tracing the line of his spine until your fingers gently brushed into the strands of his hair. Even in this state, Valko seemed to register the contact as he let out a soft, contented hum and leaned deeper into your touch, completely surrendered to you.
Then, out of seemingly nowhere, his two wolf ears folded out of his hair. They twitched once, twice, adjusting to the ambient sounds of the room before settling. At the exact same moment, a thick, plush tail manifested behind him, sweeping upward to curl comfortably over his hip and rest across his lower back.
Your hand froze just above his head. You could only stare down at the velvety fur of his ears, a sudden wave of hesitation hitting you.
It wasn't that you hadn't seen them before, he had shown you his true form in glimpses, proving the trust he had in you. But touching them while he was like this, asleep and entirely unguarded, felt different. it felt incredibly, intensely intimate, a boundary you weren't entirely sure your fresh relationship had crossed yet. Your heart did a little flutter against your ribs.
You should probably just stick to his back. It was a safe choice.
Yet, looking at the soft twitch of his ear, temptation won.
Holding your breath, you hesitantly extended your index finger and tapped the very tip of one velvety ear.
The reaction was instantaneous. The ear twitched rapidly, fluttering at the slightest contact in a way that made him look impossibly adorable and puppy-like. A quiet gasp trapped itself in your throat at the sight. Emboldened, you reached down further to cup his ear gently with your whole palm, stroking the soft fur the way you might soothe a beloved pet. Under your hand, the ear finally settled, and Valko let out another quiet groan, his arm wrapping itself around your thigh under the pillow.
Then, a sudden spark of a little mischief hit you. Dogs usually had that magic spot right behind their ears that they utterly loved. You knew Valko wasn't a dog, technically, but you couldn't help but wonder if the canine anatomy carried over just a little bit.
Testing the theory, you shifted your fingers, lightly scratching and petting around the base of his ear, searching for that sweet spot. Finally, your fingers hit the mark. Instantly, his thick tail began to lazily thump against the couch cushions, wagging in slow, heavy strokes.
The sheer, unadulterated cuteness of the moment completely overwhelmed you. Moving as silently as possible, you stretched your free hand toward the coffee table and retrieved your phone. As silent as possible, you held it up and snapped a picture, capturing the exact moment the fearsome wolf was turned into absolute putty in your hands.
Looking at the photo, a grin spread across your face. Maybe, just maybe, this was going to become your new phone homescreen.
You locked the device and set it aside, looking back down at his sleeping form. As his tail continued its slow, content wag against your leg, a deep, fierce wave of affection washed over you, tight and warm in your chest. Leaning back against the couch, you kept your fingers moving gently behind his ears, silently swearing a private oath to protect him, and moments like this, with everything you had.
