Riley snorted, his breath warm against Tao's skin. He whined as the silver slid across his coat, the burning stinging at his sensitive nose. His ears perked naturally as Tao spoke, and he listened while trying to ignore the new stinging sensation on his neck. He raised his tail and then let it fall back on the bed with a soft, muffled thump. His chest reverberated with a soft groan, not a growl, a low sound that began deep inside his body, that was almost affectionate, but not quite.