Northstar Vale i'll just have to learn greek.

@Rannoch

Thunder echoed between the clouds overhead. It was a gentle sound that made a nice companion to the quiet pitter patter of raindrops on the drooping limbs of the willow trees through which Liffey was currently wandering. She peered skyward between the dripping boughs to gaze at the clouds, trying to gauge just how much of this weather they had left. The sky had lightened considerably, and so the young meteorologist anticipated that the sun would be peeking through in just a few short minutes.

A raindrop snuck through the trees at that moment and plopped on the bridge of her muzzle, splashing into her eyes. She dipped her nose, giving her head a good shake that traveled right along her spine. Her fur fluffed out around her in the humidity making her look unwittingly adorable as she began to weave through the willows.

Post 500 for you!

 
The storm's invasion upon his lands had been swift, and though the rain was not the Alpha's ideal conditions to endure as he moved about the territory, Rannoch was relieved that they had come. The morning had been humid, and the rain rescued the lands from the grueling conditions. The better most of the of the storm had passed by the time that Rannoch had come across the willows, and though the rain was now light, Rannoch sought refuge for the rest of the storm underneath the billowing canvas of cotton candy. 

Truthfully, this was Rannoch's first time amongst the blossoms, and he traveled slowly, taking everything in with a fond smile. The discovery of this remote beauty was something that the Alpha had not expected and, for what it was worth, he felt as though it was the cherry on top to their discovery. 

Traveling at a snail-like pace, as he took in his surroundings every last detail that he could take in. Mixed amongst the scent of petrichor and perfume was perhaps the most pleasing scent to hit his nostrils and t the first indication of the Delta's scent brought about a faint blush as he realized who was lurking about. Quickly changing course, as the blossom could wait, Rannoch set off to find Liffey with a smile upon his chops. 

Pushing aside some branches as he was just upon her, Rannoch cleared the way just in time to see her fluffed form depart. "Liffey, wait!" He called after, scrambling to catch up to her. The two had not gotten any time alone since their unexpectedly intimate departure, and Rannoch was eager to get some time to feel things out with her. Though she had been responsive to his touch, Rannoch hoped that he had not scared her off by being so bold.

omg im so speeshul

Liffey heard her name being called and she stopped, recognizing the voice instantly. She turned to see Rannoch coming towards her and her heart promptly began doing that familiar, wild pounding thing it so often did when she found herself in the Frostfur's company. Her ears slid back and she dipped her head slightly as instinct drove her posture to shift subtly before him. He was her alpha, and no matter how friendly they were towards each other and how familiar, somehow equal they felt, she was ranked beneath him and certain customs needed to be observed.

Even as she played the part of the respectful subordinate, Liffey felt suddenly hyper aware that he hadn't been this near to her since the moment. She had played it over and over again in her head ever since it had happened to the point where she wasn't even sure if she had the details right anymore or if she'd made some of it up. Except, she knew she hadn't. Liffey knew what she had felt in that moment they had touched, and on some level, she knew he had felt something too. The less-than-confident, anxious part of her wanted to deny it out of self-preservation. But she knew. She knew.

Didn't she?

She thought she did.

She was pretty sure she didn't.

"Hi," was all she could muster once Rannoch came near enough to hear her. She smiled demurely at him as her tail waved and her heart did somersaults (lol I originally typed "summersalts").

u R!

The world around him slowed as she turned around and once his bright eyes met her face, his heart melted instantly. Though he knew that she was a beautiful creature, it was at this moment, despite her disheveled appearance, that Rannoch realized how gorgeous she was and his blush radiated under the dark hairs of his snout. 

The blue-eyed Alpha appreciated the dip of her posture, and he relaxed as she held herself, feeling sufficiently respected. Though there were some bad seeds among his ranks, which he would discipline until they understood the law of their ranks, they did have a majority of good pack members at their core, and he felt that this was what mattered most. 

Unsure of how to approach the situation, Rannoch did as he usually did: approach it headfirst. "I hope I didn't, you know, scare you off," he confessed with a bashful dip of his snout, averting her gaze for a moment in an attempt to have a better handle on what he wanted to say. She had a way of making his train of thought derail, and though he usually did not mind this, Rannoch knew that he wanted to be precise in the words that he chose. "After the bear chase," he elaborated, his browline strong as he backtracked quickly, wanting to be clear in with what he was saying. 

"I just... thought I'd never see you again," he confessed, his gaze sweeping up to meet hers in his moment of honesty. "And... I just... always wanted to do that." There was no other way to explain it, even though how he had gone about it had probably come across quite creepily. He hesitated then, fearing he was coming across strangely and decided it was better for him to wait before he exposed everything. It was easy for him not to talk anymore as his mouth had suddenly grown dry and he felt as though a giant lump had formed in his mouth, making it all the harder to breathe. He was not shy his expression either, as his eyes mirrored an uncanny resemblance to the fear in which a deer in the headlights looked on with.

Liffey wasn't sure what to expect from him. In many ways, he seemed just as shy and reserved towards her as she often was to him. But then there were other times when he would say things that just made her heart very nearly cease to exist. Now apparently was one of those times, for he went straight for the topic that she had been agonizing over for days now.

The moment.

Liffey was speechless. Amongst her reliving of the moment, she had also practiced multiple playthroughs of this particular scene in her head. There was always the possibility that they would never mention it again for the rest of their lives, but she had wanted to be prepared in the event that it did come up since that's what she had hoped would happen. Only in that imagined scenario, she was cool and calm and sweet and stunning and it was impossible to say a single wrong word. In this scenario she was frizzy-haired, mind-wiped and completely lacking in anything charming or brilliant to say in spite of all her planning.

"The bear scared me off..." she informed him after a few seconds of very loud static buzzing in her ears, "Technically." There were so many things she wanted to say - that she'd pictured herself saying. Absolutely none of them came to mind, and so humor arose where all else failed.

Though Liffey's comment had initially broken the ice, Rannoch reverted into his fear quickly, realizing that what had been said hadn't been crystal clear to him. "But, I didn't scare you before the bear did, right?" Like Liffey, Rannoch had been thinking of when they would interact again, but at the sight of her, all of those thoughts had been tossed out the window, and now he had nothing in mind. Instead, he would take his words as they came and hoped for the best.  

Now he was left with his question hanging in the air between them. Unable to move, he remained as he was and waited, wondering what was going through her mind.

Liffey had never been able to lie. Little fibs were one thing - when it came to "are you okay?" type questions, she would easily confirm that she was fine even when she wasn't exactly feeling so. Usually when that question was asked, the one asking didn't actually want to know all the details; they were just being polite. But when the question was more direct, such as "are you okay with what happened?", Liffey didn't know how to be anything but truthful. A question like that meant the true answer was being requested. It was likely the Grove blood in her veins that drove it, but the young Blackthorn simply did not know how to be dismissive to a question like that.

Such was the nature of Rannoch's question, and so Liffey responded in the only answer her nature could allow. "You did," she told him, the pounding of her heart almost louder than her small voice, "But it's okay. I just. I was scared you might get hurt, or worse. And.. you always kind of... But, it's not..." She trailed off, completely lost for how to explain. She hadn't fully faced it herself. Sure, she'd daydreamed about the pair of them fully admitting their feelings for each other and really being together, but she'd never considered any place in time in which her daydreams would actually manifest into reality.

This conversation was an emotional rollercoaster, and Rannoch wanted to get off. From what seemed like a particularly positive response spawned something that struck deep in the Alpha's heart. "I-I always scare you?" he asked, his ears falling. He had never felt like this before. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. His stomach felt like it was going to fall out of his butt. He wanted answers so desperately, yet they fell short as Liffey felt silent. 

Gravely, he searched her face, hoping that she would show any indication of what she meant and yet, he did not find any answers. Feeling vulnerable, he decided to speak, unsure of what to do. "I mean, you don't scare me, but, you make me feel things I've never felt before-- strange things...." He hesitated, swallowing the dry lump in his throat, "But, oddly, I like it?" Rannoch's voice became quieter by the second, feeling suddenly uncertain with being so bold when he had no idea whether or not she would reciprocate.

Liffey could see the distress in Rannoch's eyes and it lanced her heart. She didn't mean to upset him. She'd known before this started that she was going to make a mess of everything. All that was left was to try and mop up the pieces, which was not easily done. In her fear for how Rannoch's opinion of her might be shifting, Liffey felt the pretense dripping from her. Part of her hung desperately onto it for the sake of her self-preservation. The other part shook it violently away so she could allow herself the room to try and ease the concerns she feared he had.

"That's what I mean, though," she told him, unaware that she had taken a few steps forward towards him, "You do, but.. it's okay. And not all the time. Just..." Liffey paused to take in a breath, trying to steady the chaos that was her inner monologue so as to prevent it from continuing to spill from her lips. She was making such a mess of this. This was not at all what she had rehearsed. She was such a mess... How could he possibly like her?

"What's happening here?" Liffey asked finally, looking up from her paws to search Rannoch's face. She knew how she felt. She thought she knew how he did too - I mean, he'd nearly just said it, literally - and yet, she just could not force those last puzzle pieces in her mind to fit together in spite of how very obviously they did.

The two were starting to get somewhere, and Rannoch was slowly retrieving the pieces, collecting them as they were given. Too absorbed in their moment, Rannoch also did not realize just how close she had gotten to him and instead took that brain power to attempt to figure out what was going on.Thankfully, it seemed as though Liffey was trying to work through their situation and he was grateful for this, knowing that with both of their minds working they could find out what was going on. 

Thoughts churned sluggishly in Rannoch's mind as he attempted to wade through what he perceived and what he knew to be factual. Though Liffey was afraid of him, it also appeared that she enjoyed his company. After all, she was still standing in front of him. But, what did that mean? He still wasn't sure, but he knew he needed to speak. 

"Well, I know that I like being around you," he said suddenly, knowing this to be true as he worked his way through his thoughts. "And you make me blush, and that's what I know," though he knew he was saying a lot, Rannoch wanted these things to he know, as he felt it would be good for her to know this. Curious, he paused, pulling his head back to get a better look at her before bluntly asking through his tightened throat: "Do you feel the same way?" Deep down, he hoped that she did.

Liffey had no idea how he would respond. There had definitely been moments where she felt completely certain that Rannoch felt for her what she did for him, but this one was definitely not one of those. She felt foolish and idiotic and awkward and somehow completely disproportionate like her ears and her feet were too big for her face. She felt out of place, out of sorts, like she was underwater and her heart had stopped beating entirely and couldn't possible start back up again until he said something. Anything. She'd take it to escape this five seconds of limbo in which she felt nothing and everything somehow all at once.

Rannoch's words were like a warm breeze against morning frost, thawing her anxiety, melting her into a tiny droplets. She took in his words as though she'd never before considered these possibilities. He liked being around her. She made him blush. She'd noticed all of these things many times before, but had immediately discredited them with the fact that he couldn't possibly feel that way about her. She was shy and she was awkward and she talked to the stars like they were real for gods sake. How was it even possible that this handsome, charming, strong, accomplished male could actually feel these things about her?

Had Liffey any idea how to not trust him, she may have found a way to continue to deny the possibility. And had she been anyone but herself, she might have found a way to lie to protect herself.

Instead, she nodded gently while a smile slipped across her muzzle. She didn't say a word, but she didn't need to. The happy expression upon her face left nothing to the imagination.

Though Liffey spoke no words, her expression and silence divulged an insight of her perspective. He watched her carefully, tracing her every movement as time progressed between them and soon enough, falling into his quietness, Rannoch recollected the facts of their interactions, recalling with detail. It seemed as though being around her had always had this effect on him, but, perhaps, he had been all too absorbed in his feelings to comprehend what was going on between them fully. Now that she had confirmed her feelings, Rannoch could see their relationship with new eyes, and, for now, he cast away any self-doubt on the matter. 

Despite his certainty, he was hesitant at first as he teetered closer to her with a gently swaying tail and a whine slipping from his lips. He moved until he was close enough and then paused, looking upon her face with soft eyes while his the gentle croon of his voice continued. Though he had no idea what he was doing, something urged him to reach forward to touch her cheek to his nose, and because of this inkling, he did just that. Feeling nothing but bliss at this moment, Rannoch embraced her gently to test the waters between them. Though he was certain of her feelings, the blue-eyed Alpha did not want to be too overbearing in his advance and would pull back if necessary.

Liffey's mind began to race almost immediately. Or maybe it had never stopped? Probably the latter as her curious, imaginative mind was rarely ever given a break. It was constantly plagued with questions, concerns and an endless stream of consciousness about any myriad of things always centered on one topic at a time with laser focus. Now was no exception; all of her rampant thoughts were focussed on Rannoch - and not for the first time.

This, however, was definitely a first time. As the handsome alpha stepped hesitantly forward, Liffey's mind was oddly still. My mindfulness meditations refer to this as being "in the moment", but this would be lost entirely on the young Blackthorn who had a boy coming very, very close to her for the first (technically second) time in her life. She didn't know she was holding her breath, nor that she had gone very, very still as though she could shift her weight and Rannoch would burst like a ballon before her. She knew only that he was so close.

Rannoch's touch was unexpectedly... not electric. Which isn't to say that it was bad - not at all. Every moment with him leading up to this had been overwhelmingly electric, and this final culmination in their courtship was expected to be some kind of explosion. But instead, it was a quietly, massively, soothing relief. Liffey closed her eyes to lean into his touch and fall effortlessly into his embrace. She turned her head to nuzzle into the soft fur at his neck, breathing deeply in that spiced, wintery scent that made her heart pound.

It was more comforting than anything she'd ever known, and so Liffey found herself laughing gently against him after a few, sweet seconds. It was all suddenly quite funny - to think that she had once believed this would be the moment in which her heart would no longer be able to take the emotion and she would literally explode, only to find herself completely and perfectly calm with happiness. How ridiculous romance was.

The manner in which Liffey reacted to his touch calmed the storm that had been stirring so furiously within the depths of his wide-set breast. Though confidence in her reaction had eased the fluttering of his heart considerably, it was the moment in which he felt her lean in that the Alpha Male could feel his worry dissipate, leaving him feeling what remained: the all-encompassing affection that he felt for his fire-eyed Delta.

There were no words to describe how complete Rannoch felt with Liffey at his side. Though yearning had indicated that there had been something different about her, and remembering Eshe's tales in which she had met Scimitar had helped guide him to this point and time, Rannoch found himself in a situation that had been foretold many months ago, just, not as precisely laid out as one would expect. Eshe had paved the foundation of his knowledge, and this had helped him considerably in considering his feelings in the days that followed Harold's ambush on the pack. He had spent time in picking apart his feelings when he had found himself alone, considering every interaction with Liffey with a precise eye. With him knowing how he felt, it had been left to Liffey to decide what she wanted and whether or not she wanted any part of this. With all the pent up energy gone, Rannoch felt only their newly defined connection, and this feeling alone could have kept the sea-eyed male going for days. It was a sensation that he had never felt before; it's strength overpowering, and yet something was calming about it that lulled him as they embraced. 

She smelled of the open road; like a gentle wind upon an expanse of plains. Though many scents came together to create her scent, there was something within the collection that caught his attention: wildflowers. There was an underlying perfume to her scent, something that was as intoxicating as the feelings that she gave him. He never wanted to pull away and instead wriggled himself closer down the length of her neck, closing his eyes as he breathed her in. He could have remained in her hold for the rest of his life and died a happy man, just as long as he had her, Rannoch knew that all would be fine.

Liffey was still as he came nearer, taking away whatever small amount of space there had been between them. Slowly, she allowed herself to settle her weight gently against him as he wrapped his neck around her neck held her. Stepping into the Vale for the first time, the Blackthorn had felt the comforting safety the territory had to offer with its tall, sturdy walls surrounding them. It was a similar feeling now being tucked against Rannoch, only so, so much better. It was like the whole of her world was sliding into place. Everything she'd sacrificed to be here, all the hurt and guilt she'd endured. It had all been totally worth it for this.

At that moment, as they fit so perfectly into one another, the two young wolves were much like a puzzle; coming together and syncing in harmony to reveal the bigger picture. In this picture, the subject matter was love. Though the two had just skimmed the surface of their deeper purpose in uniting, there had been talks that brought them closer than ever before. Euphoria was all he could feel, and it drove him to bring himself closer to her, taking in all that he could. 

"I don't want to let go," he admitted in a sweet murmur into the fine hairs on her nape, his voice unclassically bubbly. The disturbance in the movement of her hairs distracted him momentarily, and he wriggled his nose, attempting to relocate their position while keeping her close. When he was satisfied, and not tickled, he stopped, wondering what would come next.

Liffey felt almost as though they could completely disappear from the world just like this. She could not shake the desire to laugh, and so she was unable to stop herself from chuckling into his fur as his comment brushed her ears. She tilted her muzzle until her nose gently touched the base of his left ear and her tongue flicked out to graze the fur there softly.

"Good thing no one ever said you had to then," she told him with a grin, her tail wagging at her haunches. She lowered her head again though to rest her throat atop his shoulder blade with a thoughtful sigh. "Though I suppose it would be a little harder for you to lead the pack with me stuck to you like this..." she commented quietly as her grin returned to her lips.

The gentle strum of her tongue was not only unexpected, but it also caused long fingers of heat to run through his body. It was as though his entire body blushed by that one action, causing pause as he attempted to wrangle his emotions. The break lasted no longer than a few seconds, and once it vanished, for the most part, Rannoch reached forward to reciprocate her affections with a kiss of his own. 

Rannoch grinned at what Liffey had to say, considering the difficulty how difficult it would be to rule as he was. Though it would be tricky, Rannoch felt as though it was worth it. "I think it'd be manageable," he replied after consideration. "I mean, we'd get a ton of weird looks, but, I think they'd all understand in time." There was an undeniable lightness in Rannoch's rich baritone, one which hadn't surfaced in ages. 

From there, and for quite some time, the two wolves talked about how they would go about their daily lives if they were attached like this, all the while enjoying the closeness that they shared. It would be only when the sun began to set when they would unwrap themselves from their embrace, yet, even after all that time, seeking closeness as they went off to find something for dinner.