Sunbeam Lair Romance and stars

@Noctura, when you have time ^^

Night had yet to stake her claim upon the world, and yet, the girl sought her favourite stargazer. It felt to her as if she'd not been spending nearly as much time with him as she should have, and for that she felt bad. Their nightly encounters were pleasant, yes, but she couldn't help but desire more and then felt as if she wasn't trying hard enough to achieve exactly what she wanted. They had all been busy, she knew, but that was not a proper excuse. Now, however, no longer would they be forced to live from meal-to-meal. The greenery had returned, and with it the herds, thus allowing them to return to the luxuries of life that had surrounded them prior to the famine. It meant, for her, that she could spend more time with him; the male to whom she'd confessed feelings she'd never expected herself to develop. Therefore she'd sought him out, locating the most recent trails of his scent and then following it until the dark brute was able to be seen. Upon reaching him, she'd smiled, and went forward then to touch her nose to his shoulder in greeting.

For the first few moments, the girl had remained silent. Regarding the flora the surrounded them and occasionally looking his way, uncertain of where she might begin. There was an important matter in need of being discussed, but where to begin, she could not decide. So, she'd settled on asking a simple question: "How are you?"

<3

Noctura slunk into the daylight, the play of sun upon his coat reminding any onlookers that his fur was not as midnight black as the night would believe. Indeed, the Kanpō was a wolf of mixed black and dark silver, his eyes a much paler shade of that silver — and currently overlooking an expanse of vibrant green. It had happened so fast, almost as quickly as it had gone. The return of life, real life to the lands of Ryūjin and the surrounding country. He surveyed their underground lair from a jagged rise, and after some consideration ventured into it in search of prey.

What he found, however, was the soul he adored. Noctura had almost moved down into a tracking position when he rose tall again upon Asterr's approach. It was rare that he see her alone outside their nightly meetings under the stars, as he smiled faintly at this rare privilege. Asterr, he murmured, and dipped his muzzle to apply a brief lick to the top of her head: his own greeting in return for hers. I'm well. The pack feels stronger with each rising sun, doesn't it.

The greeting offered had been returned, but in a different manner from how her own had been delivered. While her nose had been pressed gently against his shoulder, he'd licked her crown, earning from her a sigh; she was content when in his presence, enjoying every second of it, whether it be during day or night. She knew she cared for him, she'd even admitted as much once upon a time. It was nothing new, yet she could still feel her heart skip a beat when he touched her, the breath catch in her throat, her body melt against his own when they were side-by-side... the list went on and on, every line having an example of her love for him scrawled along it neatly. Emotions were something that she'd never been especially good at sharing, often lacking in a way to accurately word how she felt. With Noctura, though, no words were ever necessary. When beneath the stars, they could sit for hours in silence, simply gazing up at the constellations in awe and finding serenity in one another's presence. The night had yet to stake her claim upon the earth, though, and the stars were not overhead. Words were necessary, she knew, but a part of her still wished to do nothing more than lean against him and exchange heat.

The silence had since been broken—first by her and then by him—and so it was from her desires that her attention had been pulled, being placed instead upon the male and nothing more. His words were something she could relate to, and so it was with a slow nod that she'd said: "It does. I feel as if, even here, Draco protects the land. I am sure Zennyo Ryūō assisted in the life being returned to us, as well." Over the lair, the dragons watched. They were guarded by the spiritual beasts, guided and looked after, for not yet was it time for any of them to die. For that, the chieftess was glad, but to speak of their budding strength was not her reasoning for having sought him out. There was a far more pressing matter at hand, but still, Asterr knew not how to approach the topic.

"We were lucky to have lost not a single soul," the dragoness voiced, noting the obvious. She had a plan in mind, and so her silence after such a statement had not lasted for very long at all. "I am certain that the ancient dragons played a large part in that, but... I am also positive that we have you to thank for our survival." He had kept her mind clear, his words having allowed for her to see the light during such dark times. Through the famine, Noctura had guided them, and so she felt as if he deserved something in return for his efforts. Something that, in a way, was born partially from selfish thoughts. The vessel's wish to keep her favoured male close, to keep there from ever being a reason for why he'd want to leave them—to leave her.

The two dark creatures were one as they stood there in the ebbing midnight, fur interwoven as they touched. Like a great black lion he might have purred there and then, so content was he. Noctura looked down at Asterr as she spoke, though he could feel her sweet voice as clearly as he could hear it. Up close he was reminded of how young she was — mere months out of childhood, it was almost impossible to believe. For the way she held herself, and the way she led her devotees, was mature beyond anything he himself could hope to reach.

Not that he would hope to be someone he was not. Noctura had never been so comfortable with his identity. Perhaps because he was now Asterr's.

Dragons protect these lands, yes, he agreed with faith in his heart. And some call you the dragoness. Noctura had heard the term come from numerous individuals, and with this observation he noted that Asterr had begun to ascend beyond her calling.

And then, with great earnestness in her silver eyes, Asterr spoke appreciation. Noctura was not the type of wolf to shrug it off with self-deprecation, and so he said: thank you. Softly. He was thankful for her acknowledgement of his efforts. And, again, he was reminded of his own identity and how it made him feel these days. He was almost complete.